Changed, for Good
by ThexInvisiblexGirl
Summary: When Elphaba and Glinda are off to see the Wizard, Fiyero has time to do some thinking. That's right, thinking. PLEASE R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: in case you didn't get it yet (from my profile or elsewhere), this is me, formerly PinkElf, now known as WickedxWitch. It's been a while since I've written a long Wicked fic, so this is quite a challenge for me. Also, add on to this challenge my decision to do it all through the point of view of a 20-something-year-old prince, which I'm not, so I hope I'll be able to pull it off. **

**In case the summary wasn't clear enough (which is highly plausible with 200 or so notes), this is the untold story in between the acts, from Fiyero's POV. When G(a)linda and Elphaba are off to the Emerald City, the rest of the students- including Fiyero- go home for spring break. This is where our story starts. Then at some point it'll go back to the plot of the musical and move a bit forward. Now that you know all that, you can begin. The first chapter is kind of short, because it's a sort of a prologue-thingie. Happy reading everyone, and _please review_!**

**Disclaimer: L. Frank Baum, Gregory Maguire and Stephan Schwartz are those who need to be appreciated for being such geniuses. I'm just using their geniusness for my purposes! **

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Changed, for Good**

**Chapter 1**

He was breathless from running. There was this pain in his side, gradually increasing, making it even harder for him to run so fast. It would have been easier if he knew where he was running to, which he didn't. He led the way for a while, but then as he got tired, he began to follow her lead. He was still carrying the cage, as carefully as he could, but it soon turned out to be not such a simple (or pleasant) task. It was struggling in there, under the blanket that somehow remained draped over the cage, as if protecting its inhabitant.

That's it. He couldn't run anymore. He stopped abruptly and looked around. They were in the heart of the grove at the farthest end of the campus. He just stood there for a moment, bringing lost oxygen back to his lungs.

Then her voice cut through, annoyingly superior. "Careful, don't shake him!"

"I'm not!" he protested, slightly offended. She kept on doing that and it was starting to seriously get on his nerves. Couldn't she tell by now that he was on her side? Why would he risk so much if he wasn't?

"We can't just let him loose anywhere, you know, we have to find someplace safe."

Here it was again; that tone. Well, he had enough of it. "I realize that!" he practically yelled at her. Her face remained expressionless, which annoyed him even more. "You must think I'm really stupid!"

"No, not _really_ stupid," she retorted quite calmly; mockery and disdain were written all over her face.

He wouldn't let her get to him. He wouldn't take offence from a _girl_; from a _green_ girl, which was even worse. So he asked, as nastily as he possibly could, "Why is it that every time I see you you're causing some sort of commotion?"

"I don't cause commotions, I _am_ one!"

"That's for sure."

She glared at him. Oh, if looks could kill. "Oh! So you think I should just keep my mouth shut, is that what you think?"

No! "No, I'm-"

"Do you think I want to be this way?"

"That's not what I was-"

"Do you think I want to care this much?"

"No, I just-"

"Don't you know how easy my life would be I didn't?"

"Do you ever let anyone else talk?" _Finally_, he managed to stop her. And he didn't care if she'd think his comment was rude.

For the slightest moment, she looked speechless. "Oh, sorry," was all she could say. And then, before he could say anything else, "Can I say one more thing?"

His heart melted, in spite of himself. He nodded, waiting to hear what was so urgent for her to cut him off.

"You could have just walked away back there."

He wasn't following. "So?"

"So… No matter how shallow and self-absorbed you pretend to be-"

"Excuse me, there's no pretence here!" he cut her off again, quickly, as if there was the slightest chance that someone would hear what she had just said. "I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply-shallow."

She shook her head at that statement, and looked at him seriously. The mockery was gone. There was something else in her eyes now, something he couldn't quite identify. "No, you're not," she said softly, honestly, "or you wouldn't be so unhappy."

XoxoxoxoX

He blinked, shaking the memory off. It burnt like fire. It happened weeks ago, but he couldn't let it go. Now he sat up against the soft cushions of the seat in his compartment and sighed wearily. Yes, he insisted on going by train, and not the private carriage in which he arrived months ago. For once, he didn't feel like making a grand entrance. Or exit, to be more precise. He just didn't feel like being the center of attention, which actually got the opposite affect, as it was quite unusual for a young man his status to make his way home by a common train. He did relent, however, to have a private compartment, as it was more comfortable, being… well, private; it allowed him to sleep uninterrupted, as well as to engage himself with that new kind of activity he happened to engage himself with lately. What was it called again? Oh yes. Thinking.

He glanced absent-mindedly at the changing view at the window; the enormous towers of Shiz University shrank slowly in the distance, until it completely disappeared of his sight. For the first time in his 20 years of existence, he was not looking forward to the upcoming spring break, mostly because it meant a month of enclosure at the Tiggular estate at the Vinkus. He'd rather devote some time to his blossoming social life and spend the spring nights with his newly-found friends rather than spend all that time amidst the boredom and vanity of his parents' friends. Being an only child didn't do much help, quite the contrary. There were times he just felt so lonely there. Might as well have the train crush at some point of the road than get back home.

He reached for the newspaper he laid on the small table earlier, and observed the front page thoroughly. Like an hour ago, he came out with nothing. The same political conspiracies, an article in favor of the Abolishing Movement against Animals (that made him shiver with fury), a hideously-boring gossip section at the back page, the weather report (sunny in the Vinkus- Oz forbid there'd ever be some rain around there), and that was that. Nothing strange or suspicious that meant to catch his eye.

He wasn't even sure what it was that he was looking for. It was just that feeling that he got, like a voice at the back of his head that warned him against an upcoming danger, without informing him of the danger itself. And tried as he might, he could not shake that voice off, or the feeling that accompanied it. He knew when it started, and over what, but he thought it was ridiculously silly. The girls were fine.

The postcard was on the table as well, rumpled from the many times he had read through it, again to find some sort of a clue, any clue, as if the written letters would suddenly change order and form a warning note or something. He got it several days after their departure. It had a beautiful portrait of the Emerald City at one side, and on the other side, Galinda's fancy handwriting: _We arrived safely, having a swankified time, Love, Glinda and Elphie_. Oh, right. It was Glinda now.

Nothing seemed wrong with the content of the postcard. Quite normal. And Nessarose got a similar postcard the very same day, carrying a similar message, only in a more serious style, a neater handwriting, and signed simply _Elphaba_. And still, he was constantly checking in for news about them, stopping Nessarose at the hall in-between classes to see if she had heard anything from her sister. He was daily reading the papers, simply because of that hunch that wouldn't let go. And he continued to do so even though he knew it was silly.

Ugh. The girls would have laughed at him if they knew. They were probably having the time of their lives at the moment, shopping or whatnot. He didn't know when their audience with the Wizard was scheduled to, but he was certain they'd find ways to pass the time. It was the easiest thing to do at the Emerald City. His family used to spend the summers there when he was younger, although it's been a while since he had last been there.

He looked down at the postcard in his hands. One of his fingers was running along one of the words, as if caressing it absent-mindedly. When he realized which word it was, he instantly let go of the postcard, and it dropped noiselessly to the carpeted floor.

_What did you mean to do? And why was I the only one you didn't do it to?_

Why _was_ he the only one she didn't do it to?

It felt as if he would be pondering over that question forever.

Not that he had a reason to do so. He had Galinda (oops, Glinda), who fit him perfectly for being so much like him. But that was just the problem. She fit him too perfectly. But the point was that he had a girl who loved him, and whom he loved back. There was no reason in Oz why he should think about her way-too-smart, arrogant, _green_ roommate.

But he _was_ thinking about her. More than he was supposed to. And maybe if he wouldn't have been brainless enough to admit it to her the day she left, it wouldn't have bothered him to this day.

_I think about that day a lot._

_Really? So do I._

Actually, it was her admittance, more than his own, that scared him senseless. He didn't even want to think about its implications. He wouldn't think about it. She probably didn't even mean it; she was way too excited about her upcoming departure to notice what she was saying. But then again, she was never careless about anything she had said; why would she start at this? No, he just had to forget that conversation had ever taken place; he _must_ stop this never-ending pondering, or he'd never be able to enjoy his vacation. Yes, that would be what he'd do. Just stop thinking about it.

He had definitely done way too much thinking over the past weeks, anyway. For once in the short history of his academic education, he was actually studying for his mid-terms. He had actually _lasted_ until the mid-terms, which was even more incredible. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he really liked it there at Shiz, more than any other college he attended to before. He didn't want to be expelled again. So he did his best with the mid-terms, and eventually managed to pass all of them. Sure, he wasn't the most brilliant student, but for once, he found himself awake in class, _in_ class, not outside at the lawns.

He knew that if anything, it would please his parents. They had never said so, but he knew they were beginning to be desperate because of him. He was their only heir, the future of the Tiggular ancestry. And he was not the man they hoped he would grow up to be. He could see it in their eyes at times, whenever he had been expelled from another school, or when an affair he had with some unknown girl was revealed. He truly loved his parents, and he hated letting them down the way he did, but he couldn't help it. That was who he was.

Or who he used to be.

_I think about that day a lot_.

He shook his head. He wouldn't think about that day, from now on. He wouldn't think of anything that had to do with her. That would be the best thing to do; the safer thing to do. And maybe, when they'd be back at Shiz for the next semester, he'd be able to question her about it, about what she meant. But until then… there was really no point delving into it.

Until then… he'd better just sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I've decided to treat you with an early update, because I know from experience it's hard to tell much about a story from one chapter only. So here's chapter 2. Unfortunately, updates will not be as frequent as I would like them to be due to reasons that are out of my control (aka work, final papers etc), but I promise I'll try!**

**Thanks for the reviews, guys, keep 'em coming!**

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Chapter 2**

The train stopped at Pertha Hills in the morning of the third day. He got off there along with some of his fellow students, as the train continued to destinies unknown. Well, they were unknown for him. He was almost home.

After saying goodbye to his friends, he stood on the platform and stretched his hands above his head. He took a deep breath, hoping for some fresh air, but just then the train took off, accompanied with a great cloud of black smoke. He held back a curse as it filled his lungs, nearly threatening to choke him. It took a few coughs to get rid of the taste of ash in his mouth. He watched the train as it gained speed and disappeared into the distance.

He straightened his jacket and reached for the watch that hung on his waistcoat. Avaric, his servant boy, would be there any moment. They still had a long journey ahead of them, crossing the Great Kells on their way to the Vinkus. Now he regretted changing out of his travel clothes. This was one of his best attires. He would be sorry to see it ruined by the dust of the road.

But just as he made up his mind to find a place to change, someone called his name. He looked up, slipping the watch back into his waistcoat. His face brightened at the sight of the familiar face. Avarice approached him, smiling, as if happy to see him as well.

Avaric was a year or so older than him, and he had been his loyal servant since he had turned 12. He was more than a servant, really. Being approximately the same age, Avaric was the brother he had never had. He knew he could confide in Avaric no matter what. They knew everything about one another. He truly missed their conversations into the night. On a second thought, maybe going home for spring break wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"Avaric, my man," he said smiling, patting his servant's back.

Avarice pretended to topple forward. "You got stronger! What did they feed you there at Shiz?"

"That's from carrying around books," he replied, only half joking.

Avaric raised an eyebrow in silent question as he reached for the suitcases, carrying one in each hand. "Is that so? Your own books, or of some lovely damsel in distress?"

Amazing. They weren't standing together for more than two minutes, and they were already discussing Avaric's favorite subject. He gave his servant a look.

Avaric raised his arms in a motion of defense. "What? You know what they say about Shiz University. The finest girls in Oz attend it. I figured it must have been the reason for you to last so long there." He smirked but didn't reply. Avaric gave him a closer look. "So tell me if I'm right. Is there a specific damsel you carried books for?" Then he seemed to think of another thing, and his face grew smug. "Or maybe you did more than carrying her books, huh?"

He frowned, ashamed of the way his cheeks began to burn. "Sweet Oz, Avaric, does your mother know how dirty her son's mind is?" Avaric's mother was the main cook at his parents' estate.

Avaric shrugged, quite indifferent. "What she doesn't know can't hurt her," he replied simply. "Besides, I don't see what all the fuss is about. It's been ages since that affair you had with the Gillikanese princess, I thought you were over it by now!"

"I was, I am, that's not the point."

"True, the point is the new girl you're so taken by."

Sometimes he wished Avaric's observations wouldn't be so precise. "Don't you ever think about anything else?"

Avaric looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. "I won't let you stray from the subject. Prey tell."

"Tell?"

Avarice let out a frustrated sigh, a bit too dramatic than really necessary. "About the girl, Master Tiggular!"

He sighed. Might as well say _something_. "Galinda Upland, from the Upper Uplands."

Avarice let out a long whistle. "Good family. Your parents would be proud. I can hear the wedding bells as we speak."

He hit Avaric's arm as they left the station. "Wedding bells? I don't think so."

"You should. Because there's been talking."

He stopped dead on his tracks, looking suspiciously at his servant. "What talking?"

But before he had a chance to hear Avaric's reply, they arrived at the carriage. The driver jumped off his seat to help them set the suitcases at the back. Once they were settled inside and took off, he looked at Avaric, who was sitting across from him. "What talking, Avaric?"

"Well, you've just turned 20. Your parents start to be worried about you. The other day I was passing by the library and heard your father say it was about time to find you a suitable match. For marriage," he added, as if it wasn't obvious enough. Avaric could be even more brainless than him.

Marriage. The word alone gave him chills. They couldn't be considering marriage; he was young, he still had time! Hadn't he…?

"Do you know if they have anyone in mind?"

"Not that I know of. I think they were waiting for you to return."

"I'm only here for the month! I'm going back to school, surely they don't think-"

"Well, I guess they were thinking the same as I did. No-one believed you'd last in Shiz. It was your last chance, as far as your father was concerned."

He nodded. He remembered. "But if I'm doing well at school, if I'm going back there for another semester, they can't marry me off to someone now."

"Possibly, but I wouldn't have relied on that if I were you. They sounded pretty determined to me."

He leaned back, sort of speechless. It felt as if someone had just kicked him in the stomach. He wasn't expecting that. Of course, he assumed the issue would rise at some point of his life, but somehow he was hoping he was still quite far from that stage. Marriage… He didn't want to get married. He liked things the way they were.

"It should be easier though."

Avaric's voice shook him off his reverie. He looked up, somewhat disoriented. "What?"

"The fact that you already have a girl in mind."

An image of a different girl rose in his mind, but he shook his head, and she disappeared just as quickly. "I don't _have_ her, Avaric, she was off to the Emerald City several days ago."

"Yes, but she will return to Shiz when the new semester commences, won't she?"

"I guess so, but-"

"At least you have someone in mind. Someone you actually like; someone your parents might even approve. Don't you think it's better than being set up with a stranger?"

That was a good point, but still… Of course, he liked Glinda, but did he like her enough to marry her? Did he really want to spend the rest of his life with her? Was he ready for this sort of commitment at such a young age?

Ugh, all those serious contemplations were bad for him. It was too much thinking for one day. He felt drained. He ignored Avaric's questioning look, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Soon he was dozing off, the carriage's bumpy movement lulling him to sleep.

XoxoxoxoX

They arrived at the castle at dusk. He went out of the carriage, his body sore from the long and bumpy drive. His suit was hopelessly rumpled. And yet, as he followed Avaric to the main entrance, a sense of serenity washed over him. True, he longed to be with his friends at the moment, dancing at the Oz-Dust or playing drinking games at The Drunken Ozian, but still, there was no place like home.

Raff, the old butler, opened the door. "Welcome home, Master," he said, in that half-smile of his that always made him appear so mysterious and… well, somewhat creepy, on a first encounter.

"Thank you, Raff. How are you?"

"No complains, Master."

"I'll get your luggage to your room," Avaric said lowly, excused himself and disappeared up the stairs.

He followed Raff inside and looked around. Everything looked just as he remembered it; high ceiling, marble staircases and floor, everything immaculate, cold, and somewhat estranged. The castle was huge, especially considering it contained three habitants; two, when he was away. He always found it absurd, the way there were so many servants around to attend to three people. When he was older, he'd rather find himself a smaller place. He could never be truly happy living in a place like that.

"How was your journey?"

He blinked, a bit startled. He didn't realize Raff was still standing there. "Long. But it's good to be home."

"It's good to have you home. Go and join your parents at dinner."

His gaze was quickly cast down, to his messed-up attire. Surely he couldn't show up before his parents looking like that! Looking up at Raff again, the old man was shaking his head.

"That's alright, my boy. They know you've made a long way."

In so many levels, that statement was true. He nodded, and followed Raff to the dining room.

"Master Tiggular, Lady Tiggular," Raff said, then moved aside, to allow him to pass.

He walked into the dining room just as both his parents laid down their forks, giving their attention to Raff. He hesitated. As much as he missed them, he was not sure of what he was supposed to do. Was he expected to go there and give them a hug? What should he say?

But then his mother seemed to make the decision for him, for she left her seat immediately and hurried towards him. "Fiyero!" He couldn't believe how small she seemed to him all of a sudden; he was practically towering over her. She looked well, though, beautifully dressed as always, her hair done perfectly, even though it was just her and his father at dinner. Yes, she would love Glinda.

He wrapped her in a tight hug. "Hello, Mother." From over his mother's shoulder he saw his father approach him. He slowly pulled away from his embrace, letting his mother go. There was that unmistakable dampness at the corners of her eyes, that touched his heart. She was truly happy to see him. He looked up at his father. "Father," he said, acknowledging the older man with a nod.

"You look well, son," he father said in that deep, throaty voice he remembered so well.

"So do you."

"How is school?"

"Good. I'm going back," he couldn't help sounding proud.

His father nodded. "So I hear. We got a letter from your headmistress there, Madam Morrible. She says you're doing very well there. I'm glad to hear that. I'm glad you're finally fitting in."

"I like it there," he said honestly.

"That's good to hear."

"Well, come along and join us, Dearest. You must be hungry after the long journey," his mother said, taking his hand. A third set of plates and silverware laid deserted on the table. His mother led him to his seat, and both his parents took their seats once again.

Over dinner, he told them some more about Shiz; about his professors, the classes he attended, his friends. They took it all in and asked him questions. Their expressions remained the same; that sparkle of approval he detected earlier in his father's eyes. A sense of satisfaction washed over him. For once, he was doing things right. For once, he was making his parents proud.

He went up to his room right after dinner. His parents didn't object, as if they assumed he was exhausted from the long drive. Once upstairs he took a well-deserved bath and changed into his nightclothes. Unfortunately, he found himself wide-awake after his bath, so he decided to unpack some of the things he brought home with him; some notes he took during classes, several textbooks. He thought those would keep him busy if he'd be bored at home.

Most of the material he brought back had to do with Animal rights. He was still shaken by Dr. Dillamond's forced departure and everything that happened afterwards. The new professor was discreetly but insistently imposing the new policies over them, and whereas most students just opened up to those new, scandalacious theories, he thought those were absurd. Who ever heard of caging? Of preventing Animals from speaking out? What sort of a twisted world would allow that?

The fire spread comfortable heat in the room as he sat before it and read through his notes. Those made him furious whenever he took a look at them, but they were important. He turned another page, and his eyes met an unfamiliar handwriting, definitely not his own hasty, undecipherable scribbling. His forehead cringed in confusion. Whose was this? How did it get there?

XoxoxoxoX

He hurried down the hall, up the stairs, around the bend, down the hall again; he was practically running. He was going to be late again unless he'd hurry. He was up all night with his friends, and managed to get two hours of frenzied slumber before he had to wake up again and leave for class. Now it seemed like a brainless idea. He was exhausted and hungover, and extremely out of focus. He hoped there wouldn't be any quiz today. He knew there was no way he'd pass, in his condition.

Then, before he knew it, he hit something full force and found himself sprawled on the floor. Oz, that was embarrassing. He hoped it wasn't a wall he had just bumped into. Looking up, he realized it couldn't have been a wall, unless the walls at Shiz had always been painted green and he never noticed.

He flashed an apologetic smile at her and said, as cheerfully as possible, "Good morning, Miss Elphaba."

She dismissed his smile with a single glare. He felt his blood freeze. "Watch where you're going," she hissed, then sat up and began to collect her books and notes, now set in an incredible disarray all around them.

He grabbed his own books, and several pieces of parchment he recognized as his own. Then he reached to some of the remaining books and handed them to her. "Here, allow me-"

"I can do it myself, thank you," she replied coldly, snatching the books from him.

They stood up at the same moment, and he almost bumped into her again, as she was about to go in the opposite direction. Luckily, he stopped himself on time. He just stood there, watching her as she hurried along, her hair swishing behind her like a dark cloak.

XoxoxoxoX

He looked at the parchment more closely. Yes, he recognized her handwriting now. And there was her name, written at the left corner, right above the title. It was an essay, or a draft of an essay (must have been, for it had the word 'draft' scribbled up there as well). The page he accidentally took seemed to contain only the introduction. His eyes fluttered across the first sentence.

As he read along, he found himself getting more and more into it. Her writing was strong, as if she believed in every word she had written down. He could almost hear her voice, like she was reading it to him. There were hardly any deletion marks, as if she knew just what she wanted to say and wrote it all down at once. Why she marked it as draft was beyond him. It looked good enough to be an actual essay; Oz knew his own essays looked worse than her draft.

There was a footnote at the bottom of the page, where she acknowledged a previous work on which she seemed to base her thesis for that essay. Hmm. As he found the issue fascinating so far, he could look up for that book she mentioned. The professor whose name she mentioned was well-known, even to him. He was sure his father kept a copy of his book down at his library. His father was an avid book collector, and his library was huge. He should go down there and look it up.

He placed the parchment between the pages of one of his textbooks, then threw a robe over his nightclothes, and left his bedroom.

XoxoxoxoX

It took him several moments to figure out what was where, but eventually he managed to locate the book he needed. He chose one armchair, which had its back to the doors and was settled the closest to the kindling fire. He placed the book on his lap and began his silent reading.

He didn't know how it happened. Maybe the adrenaline of the day had finally worn off, maybe it was the fire that made him all drowsy. He just… fell asleep. He looked down at the book on his lap, open, but several pages away from where he had stopped, as if the pages had been turned by a sudden gust of wind or something. He'd better go up to his room and get some proper sleep. He could start over with his reading tomorrow.

He straightened up in his seat, and stretched. Then he froze, mid-stretch, when he heard a sound. It was a really obvious sound, but in the silence of the night, it was fairly creepy.

Someone was trying to open the doors.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Heart pounding, he sank back into the armchair, looking around frantically. He wasn't scared; oh, not that. Alright, fine, he was _terrified_. He was too tired to fight back against whoever was trying to break into his father's library. He had no idea what time was it, but he'd better look for something, anything, in case it was too late to call for help, and he'd have to defend himself.

Then he realized he wouldn't have to.

"Is there anyone here?"

Oh, was he stupidly brainless or what?

He straightened up again, then stood up. "It's just me, Father."

His father still had that startled expression, as if he, too, was expecting it to be a thief. Then his expression changed; now he looked slightly confused. "Fiyero? What are you doing here?"

"I was reading, I…" he started, then realized this was not what his father was asking. Before, there was no way he would have been found at his father's library; not willingly. Before. Now, there was a word. Before _what_, exactly?

His father seemed to be pondering over the same thing. "Since when have you been reading?" he asked, closing the heavy doors once again.

"Well, I had to pass the exams somehow."

His father looked pleased. "That's good. That's very good."

"It's just that I'm tired from my trip, so I fell asleep. I didn't realize it was so late."

"You can start it over tomorrow. This is the beauty of books, you see." He took the book from him with a gentle motion, and looked at the title. Then he looked up at him and nodded. "This is an excellent book. How did you hear about it?"

One of my classmates wrote a brilliant essay that criticized his work. I accidentally took her draft. Oh yes. This classmate of mine is _green_, Father. "We studied it in class," he replied instead.

His father appeared to be impressed. "I didn't know they were teaching this at schools these days. I guess I was wrong about Shiz University. I wasn't much impressed with it when we sent you there."

"Yes, I know. But it _is_ a good school."

"Any school that manages to keep my son in it more than several weeks is good enough for me," his father replied, looking as stern as usual but with an obvious smile in his voice. That smile that noted it must have been a compliment. "I have the rest of his works as well, if you'll be interested."

"Thanks. I'll look them up once I'm done with this one."

His father handed him the book, and he took it and was about to leave when he heard his name bring called. He turned and looked at his father hesitantly.

"Fiyero, while we have you back home with us, your mother and I were thinking it was time to make some decisions regarding your future."

He was wondering why it didn't come up during dinner. Maybe they didn't want to scare him off, as he just got home? "My future… Surely you mean my future at school, don't you?" he asked, hoping it sounded casually innocent, although his heart was threatening to burst in his chest.

And of course, it was not a big surprise when his father shook his head. "No, that's not quite my intention, son. I mean your future after school. Before you'll know it, you'll graduate from Shiz. This is when real life starts for a young man your age."

"Real life, sir?" he asked hesitantly. If he was terrified before, he was million times more terrified at the moment.

"Starting a family of your own, is what I mean," his father replied calmly. "You're 20 years old, son. It is time to find you a bride."

It felt as if the room was closing in on him. He felt nauseous. If he hadn't known about it beforehand, he knew he would have passed out for sure. "But I don't need-"

"Nonsense, Fiyero," said his father, dismissing any attempt to protest. "I reacted the same way you do now, and I'm perfectly happy with your mother. It's all about finding the right woman. And we will find her, needn't you worry."

They wanted to marry him off and he shouldn't have been worried? He was _panicked_, in Oz's name! "Father, seriously, I-"

His father raised his arm, in that determined motion that implied that everything was already settled. "Hush. I'm not going to argue with you about it. By the time you'll leave for your next semester, we'll find a nice girl, and you will marry her after your graduation. Whether you like it or not."

His mouth, that was open in order to utter another protest, was closed now at the sound of that final statement. Should he bring up the Glinda issue right now? He was really tired for long stories.

"We've arranged a ball in honor of your return. The invitations have been sent already. It will take place next week. We'll start there, see if you'll find anyone you'll like."

"What if I don't?" he challenged.

His father gave him another stern, no-nonsense look. "Oh, you will, Fiyero. You will."

XoxoxoxoX

The preparations to the ball began several days later, accompanied with a gleeful bustle. It felt as if everyone was looking forward to it. Everyone, but him, that is. His father ordered for new clothes to be made for him, in spite of his attempts to protest. He knew it would be nearly impossible to change his father's mind. He had to inherit his stubbornness from someone. So he silently watched as his mother's head seamstress Nessareene and her working ladies made their way into his room with incredible noise right after breakfast, carrying boxes in various shapes and sizes. He doubted he wanted to get familiar with its content. He groaned inwardly. It was going to be a hopelessly long day.

"I don't know why all this is necessary," he complained to Avaric several hours later.

"It was your father's order."

"Yes, I know, I just don't understand why I need ten new suits."

"Well, there's the ball next week-"

He frowned. "It's not that I'm going to change four times during the ball like some girl."

"Straighten up, Master Tiggular," said Nessareene, putting her arm firmly against his back. There were at least dozen of them all around, filling his bedroom with cheerful chatter. Well, actually, for his ears it sounded more like a flock of geese, but he was sure it was cheerful for them.

"Sorry," he grumbled, but did as she asked. He hated just standing there, when there were so many other things he could do. Instead, he had to wait and be still while his mother's seamstresses were measuring him and having discussions about sizes and fabrics, to make him some new clothes.

Avaric was watching him from the corner of the room, where he was comfortably positioned; sitting on the armchair with his legs propped against a low stool. "You've never complained before."

"It just seems like such a waste of time," he said, then flashed Nessareene an apologetic smile. "No offence, Nessareene."

"None taken, Master." But a moment afterwards he felt the measuring tape being wrapped way too tightly around his waist. He glared at her, and she flashed a sweet smile at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, Master, was that too tight?"

"Very funny," he grunted.

Avaric seemed to find the situation extremely funny. He got up, wandering aimlessly around the room, and then went over to where various fabrics were spread against the bed. He felt some of them, then he spotted something on the nightstand, took it and looked over his shoulder to give him a questioning look.

"What?"

"Since when have you been _reading_?" he asked, an appalled expression on his face.

It was his third book in four days, and it was just as fascinating as the first two. He really wanted to resume his reading, maybe finish this one as well, but those stupid fittings were supposed to take all morning. Only knowing that Avaric would never understand, he just shrugged and said indifferently, "It's for school."

"Yes, but it's spring _break_."

"We still have homework."

Avaric looked horrified. "You do?" He nodded. Avaric looked at him strangely. "And you're calling those fittings a waste of time?"

"Your arm, please, Master."

He stretched his arm at Nessareene's request, then looked at Avaric. "That's a pretty good book, as a matter of fact."

Avaric was quiet for a moment, and then said, "They did you some very serious damage back there at Shiz."

He cocked an eyebrow to Avaric's observation. "Really? My father doesn't seem to think so."

"You express no enthusiasm at all for a ball and dancing and new clothes, but on the other hand you're extremely enthusiastic over a book? That can't be a good thing!"

"Again, my father doesn't seem to think so."

"That's because you're finally beginning to resemble him."

There was something in Avaric's tone he didn't like; as if his servant was looking for an argument. He gently laid his hand over Nessareene's. This was not for her ears, or for any of her girls'. "Could you give us a moment, please?"

"Of course, Master."

Within minutes, the women left the room. The silence was piercing, yet blessed at the same time. Then he looked at Avaric. "Maybe I _am_ beginning to resemble him. Is that such a bad thing?"

"For someone who always believed in individualism, in not imitating others, yes, I'd say it is a horrible thing!"

"I'm still doing things my own way. I'm not imitating anyone."

"You're submitting to your father's wishes. You're becoming him. Before you notice, you'll _be_ him. Is that what you want?"

"Look, Avaric…" He sighed. How could he possibly explain what he was feeling? "I know this world. I had enough of balls and dancing and vanity. But this…" he motioned towards the book on his bedside. "There's a whole new world out there that I don't know about. I just want to know what is out there. Maybe it's just as vain as this world, but until I try, I'll never know."

Avaric hesitated, then said seriously, "You've changed."

He nodded. "Yes. I have. But it's not necessarily for worse."

Avaric smirked, now looking like himself again. "Maybe you're finally growing up."

"It's better late than never."

"That's for sure."

He smiled, then walked over to open the door. "You can come in now, Nessareene."

XoxoxoxoX

That's it. Another one done. A yawn escaped him as he slowly closed the book and set it aside. He glanced at the parchment on his desk. He was taking some notes as he read along; it was impossible not to. This book was even more fascinating than the first two, and the notes he took might even come out useful during the upcoming semester. A small, satisfied smile curled on his lips. Yes, for once, he knew he could be proud of his work.

He threw back the covers and crawled into bed. It was time to sleep.

XoxoxoxoX

Through the waves of deep slumber, he could feel it. It was like butterfly wings, fluttering over his skin, so lightly and gently. It was easy to believe it didn't happen at all. But it did. He knew it did. The motion was recurring, constant, and it felt so good that it was really difficult to open his eyes. Slowly, reluctantly, he forced them open.

And nearly fell off his bed with a start.

He was dreaming this. He _must_ have been dreaming this; otherwise, how was it possible?

There was a woman in his bed, and as if she didn't feel his sudden movement, she continued what she was doing, which was spreading soft kisses across his bare chest. Her hair was thick, drooping over her face like a dark veil, tickling his skin. He threw his head back, closing his eyes. It's been a while since someone had touched him like that. The sensation was too incredible for him to be able to stop it. But he _had_ to stop it. He didn't even know her-

But then he realized that he did.

His eyes grew big with terror as she raised her head to meet his gaze. She smiled, and crawled a bit up until her face was just above his. He wanted to shriek, to cry out, to say something, but his voice froze somewhere up his throat. He couldn't do much, but stare. This _must _have been a dream. Whether it was a good one or a bad one, he wasn't quite sure yet. But he might as well question what in Oz _she_ was doing in his bed.

"Elpha-"

Her name remained on his lips as she lowered herself towards him, and their lips met halfway in a passionate kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

This was _not_ happening. It couldn't have been happening. It _must_ have been a dream. Only it felt so real that it couldn't have been. Their lips caressed one another's, the air in the room got stuffy and packed as their kisses got more passionate (if that was even possible), and to make things worse, he found himself actually enjoying it. That was _bad_. That was bad, bad, bad.

From the little he could tell before, when he first opened his eyes, she was wearing very little; a black negligee that felt like satin between his fingers. He ran his hands along her sides, feeling the fabric, eventually settling on her waist, holding her in place. He rubbed his fingers against her hips in slow, circular motions. That made her press her body against his even more. An unbelievable sensation washed all over him. He slipped his hand further down, to where the material ended, then ran it back up again underneath the garment, along the bare skin of her hip. More. He had to have more of her or he'd go insane.

No.

The insanity was to keep it going.

"No," he said breathlessly, reluctantly pulling away, pushing her off abruptly. He couldn't do this. This was wrong. This was _Elphaba_, for Oz's sake. What was he thinking?

Obviously, he was thinking very little.

But before he utter any sort of an apology (or an excuse?), she was gone.

He woke up with a jolt, sweaty and panting. His eyes quickly adjusted to the semi-darkness. The moonlight spilled its pearly light into the room, coloring everything soft silver. He leant back against the bed-board, forcing himself to calm down. It _was_ just a dream. But he couldn't calm down. It just was so real; the heat in the room, the feeling of skin against skin, the taste of her kisses.

He threw his robe on, then left his room hastily. He hurried to the kitchen, which was luckily deserted, where he gulped glass after glass of cold water, as if the water would have some sort of purifying affect. He needed to erase what had just taken place in his room off his mind, and the sooner he'd figure out how to do so, the better.

Why her? Why did he have dreams like that about her? It felt so wrong, so absurd. He didn't even like her enough to do… _that_ sort of stuff with her. So what if he couldn't stop thinking about her for the last several weeks; it was because she confused him, that's all. But this dream… it was disturbing. Now he couldn't think about anything else. Now he kept picturing her wearing that black negligee. He had never noticed her remarkable figure before. Was it because of those loose, ugly frocks she was always wearing, or because he wasn't paying close enough attention? Maybe because it was simply never there, because it was all in his head, in his fantasy? Ugh, _fantasy_! About _her_! That was ridiculous.

Sweet Oz, would he be able to get _any_ sleep tonight? It didn't feel as if he would. He left the kitchen and headed for his father's library. Might as well do something useful to pass the time. He found one of the books his father had previously recommended him on, and took it up to his bedroom.

He settled on the armchair in front of the fire, but couldn't concentrate. The words swam in front of his eyes. He was too restless, too confused, to do some serious reading at the moment. He stared at the fire absent-mindedly, feeling how the changing shapes of its flames slowly lulling him to sleep.

XoxoxoxoX

Even in his drowsy state-of-mind he could tell that something was going on when he went down for breakfast the next morning. There was this sort of excitement in the air. When he walked into the dining room his parents were speaking in low whispers. They both raised their heads when he joined them. There was something strange in the way his father was looking at him, but he quickly dismissed it. Lack of sleep was making him see things, that's all.

"Good morning," he said, helping himself with some coffee. Oz, he _needed_ coffee.

Neither of them replied. His father seemed to hesitate, then asked, "Fiyero… how well you know your fellow students?"

Why would his father care about his social life all of a sudden, let alone at such a ridiculously early hour? "Pretty well, I think. Why?"

"Well, there's been quite a commotion at the Emerald City last night."

An involuntary chill went through him. A memory flashed like a burning sword.

_Why is it that every time I see you you're causing some sort of commotion?_

_I don't cause commotions, I am one!_

He was almost afraid to ask. "What… what sort of commotion?"

His father didn't reply. Silently, he reached for a folded newspaper by his side, and turned it over so he could see the title.

He went pale. It felt as if the room was closing in on him. Luckily, he wasn't holding his cup, or it would have crushed to the floor. This was it. The thing he was looking for. The bad news he had prepared for.

_Wicked Witch is on the Loose_. It felt as if the title was screaming itself at him. The article was short but to the point, telling about a green-skinned witch, a 20-year-old student from Shiz University, who caused the mutilation of the Wizard's pet Monkeys at his throne the previous evening. All attempts to capture her had failed, it said, and the citizens of Oz were required to be careful, to save themselves from the wicked witch, as she was now on the loose.

The paper felt as heavy as steel when he laid it down, to find both his parents looking at him severely, questionably. "What?" he asked, his voice as weak as he suddenly felt.

"Do you know her? This young woman they're referring to?"

For a moment, he wasn't sure what the right answer would be. Then, out of instinct, he replied, "I might have seen her once or twice, but no. I don't."

"Those poor Monkeys," his mother said sorrowfully. "Who would do such a thing?"

"Only whose soul is truly evil," his father replied evenly.

He shook his head, but they were too occupied having their own conversation to notice him. There were many things one could say about Elphaba; evil was definitely not one of them. Why would she do this? Wasn't it her reason to go there in the first place; to inform the Wizard that something bad was happening to the Animals in Oz? Something must have gone wrong. It didn't make sense otherwise; she went there to protect the Animals, not to damage them. And Glinda… her name was not mentioned in the article he had just read. Was she safe? It seemed that Elphaba managed to save herself, but why would she leave Glinda behind?

"Fiyero?" He raised his head to meet his mother's concerned gaze. "Is everything alright, Dearest?"

For a moment, he considered to excuse himself and retire to his room. He definitely lost his appetite after reading that article. He needed to be alone, to think it through, to try and understand what really happened there. But he had to act normal. For Elphaba's sake. For Glinda's sake. "Everything is fine," he replied as convincingly as possible.

"I'm not sure if I want you back there," his father said all of a sudden.

Oh, no. "Father, please-"

"I knew there was a reason not to send you there in the first place."

His head was racing. He had to think, quick. He couldn't let his father win this argument. "The school has nothing to do with what happened last night! I'm doing well there!"

His father shook his head stubbornly, as if he had already made up his mind. "I will not have my only son studying in a place from which a monstrous girl goes out and mutilates Animals under the Wizard's nose! Someone must have put this idea in the girl's head, someone from within school!"

"You can't know that for sure!" If one thing was still certain to him, that was it. He couldn't leave Shiz. He gave his father an imploring look. "Father, please. I like it there. It might be the only place I can make something out of myself. It might be my only chance. Don't you want me to have my chance to be someone? Didn't you tell me over and over again that this was what you always wanted for me?"

His father seemed to consider this, but then he shook his head. "Not in every cost."

"I know how to watch myself. I'll be careful. You have to trust me."

"I'm afraid it's bigger than you or me, Fiyero. It's not a question of whether or not you're careful. I don't need to tell you how serious the situation is, as you've read those books yourself. The condition of Animals in Oz is getting worse and worse as we speak. Today it's Monkeys' mutilation, who knows what they'd do tomorrow."

"Alright, but isn't it true that someone must be there to prevent them from doing all those things?"

"I guess so, but-"

"This is what I want, to stop them."

"Yes, but Fiyero, you're hardly able to-"

"I will never take their side, Father, you know that."

"I do, this is not the point-"

"Please, Father, give me one chance. That's all I'm asking."

"Do you ever let anyone else talk?"

Oh. Oops. Now he knew how it felt. He flashed an apologetic smile at his father. "I'm sorry, sir."

Only his father didn't seem mad; rather, he seemed sort of amused. He said nothing for a while, as if considering his next move, and then he looked up at him. He knew the answer even before his father had a chance to utter it yet. A slow smile curled on his lips. "You can go back. But Fiyero, if you have the slightest suspicion that something is not right, I want you back at home with us. Don't try to be smarter or braver than you are. Remember we only have one son."

"I know," he replied, softer than intended. "I promise I'll be careful."

XoxoxoxoX

He remained in his room all morning. He couldn't bring himself to do anything else. Avaric was away, running some errands for his father, which was good, because he wasn't sure he was ready for his servant's inquiring. He sat by the window, just staring out of it, trying to make sense in what he had known so far, which was very little. Nothing made sense. He knew it must have been a lie, one huge lie, a horrible conspiracy against her. After showing such passion for saving that Lion cub weeks ago, he doubted she could act differently when a different Animal was at stake. And she was never the one to purposely hurt someone; well, except for her sarcasm and superiority, perhaps, but that wasn't the point. The point was that someone was attaching her a label she didn't deserve.

And it felt as if he could do very little to help her.

Whoa, wait just a clock tick. Why would he even want to help her?

Because she is your friend, an inner voice told him.

He nodded to himself. A friend. Yes. That's all she was. That's all she would ever be.

In one decisive motion, he left the windowsill and sat by his desk. He spent the next few hours writing frantically, as if his life was depended on it, to some of his friends. Someone would know _something_. He wrote a letter to Nessarose as well, offering his comfort and support, only he didn't know her address at her father's house at Munchkinland, so he directed the letter to Shiz, hoping it would get to her.

He was just sealing the last letter when Avaric stepped into his room. He raised his head at the sound of the closing door. It was late afternoon, by the light from the window. His hand hurt, so did his back. "What news, huh?" Avaric asked, flopping himself on the armchair.

Too tired to do anything else, he simply nodded.

Avaric glanced at the small pile of letters on his desk, but said nothing about it. "Something occurred to me on my way back."

"What?"

"It says in the paper that she was green-skinned." He nodded. He wasn't sure what Avaric's point was, if he even had one. "When I left you at Shiz… wasn't there a green girl we almost ran over?"

Oh Oz. He forgot about it. Oh, no. "Yes, yes there was," he said slowly. "You didn't tell my father that, though, did you?"

"No. Why, was I supposed to?"

"No!" he nearly jumped off his seat. Avaric gave him a look. "No, I mean… I've already told him I didn't know her."

"Oh," said Avaric. There was a pause, then he asked, "Why?"

Well, there's a question. "I'm not sure. I guess I was afraid that if he knew I knew her, he would never send me back. And I want to go back. Please, let's just keep that day between us, huh?"

"Of course. I won't tell. Although it doesn't make much difference, you know. We nearly ran her over, that doesn't mean you know her."

"But I do know her," he said quietly. Avaric looked at him questionably. He sighed. He guessed he had to explain, if not to his parents, then to Avaric. "She was Glinda's roommate, so naturally I had to see her from time to time. She wasn't very social, so that wasn't a lot, but still. I don't know what happened there last night, Avaric, but somehow it's all a lie. I know it is. Elphaba would never do such a thing, not willingly."

Avaric looked confused. "Who is Elphaba?"

He rolled his eyes. Could he get any more brainless? "That's her name, Avaric."

"Oh."

"It must be a plot against her. I'm not sure why yet, but it has to be a plot. I wish I could just know that she's someplace safe. I know she can take care of herself, but still, I wish I could-"

"What about Glinda?"

Avaric's question came as a surprise. He looked up at him. "What about her?"

"Didn't you mention several days ago that she was in the Emerald City? She could be in danger as well."

"Glinda went over there with Elphaba. They said nothing about her in the papers, so I'm assuming she's alright."

Avaric looked at him strangely. "You're not worried about her?"

"She's not the one they declared a Wicked Witch and seek to destroy. She'll be fine. It's Elphaba I'm worried about. She might be in serious trouble."

When he next looked at Avaric, his servant had that smug expression all over his face. Oh no. What he was up to now? "This Elphaba might be in trouble, but you, my friend, are in way deeper trouble than she is."

"What do you mean?"

"Are you even aware of the fact that you talked about nothing except for the green girl for the past twenty minutes or so?"

"I did _not_!" he protested, frantically thinking back of what he had said. Did he?

"You so did," Avaric said teasingly, giving him such a close look he could feel his cheeks burning. It was as if his servant was trying to see the truth within him. And then, a victorious smile curled on his lips. "Aw, isn't it sweet? You're blushing!"

He glared at him. "Avaric, that's enough."

"Somehow I get the feeling that the Glinda-thing was just a cover story."

"Well, it's not. It's Glinda I love."

"But it's Elphaba you can't stop talking about?"

What would he answer? How could he explain to Avaric that it was stronger than him? "It's complicated," he said finally. Avaric raised an eyebrow, obviously unconvinced. "And I don't want to talk about this right now."

Now Avaric looked slightly hurt. It was easy to tell, even though he tried to hide it behind an indifferent expression. He got up. "Oh. Well, I'll be downstairs if you need me."

He caught on with him a moment before he left the room. "Avaric, wait." Avaric turned, but he could hardly look at him. "I didn't mean I didn't want to talk to you about it. It's just… I need to figure things out first, before I…" his voice trailed off. He sighed, then looked at his servant honestly. "I'm just a bit confused right now, with those news and all. Please don't hold it against me. You know I don't trust anyone else."

There was something in Avaric's expression he couldn't quite identify; as if his servant knew something he didn't. "I think you're in deeper trouble than you realize," he said seriously, then turned to go.

He spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out what it meant.


	5. Chapter 5

**Reuploaded, thanks to the nip-ticky WickedJelly- thanks plenty, dearest!**

**A/N: just a small side-comment, in case it wasn't clear by now, I'm basing my story (and all my other Wicked stories for that matter) on the London version of the show. Although to my understanding the changes that were made in the London version were supposed to be added to the American productions by now, the London cast is the one I saw so I'm trying to remain faithful to that specific production. That being said, happy holiday everyone, whether it's Passover or Easter. _Review! _**

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Chapter 5**

All week he tried to make his father change his mind about the upcoming ball, but to no avail. He couldn't understand how he was expected to dance and be happy when Oz was practically in the middle of an emergency, but his father simply shrugged him off. Life went on, he said. A Wicked Witch on the loose should not be the reason for canceling a ball for his honor.

He positioned himself at one corner of the ballroom, from which he could watch the guests uninterrupted. He downed his third glass of champagne (whenever his father didn't notice) and stared blankly at the dancers. For the first time in his life, he didn't even feel that urge to join them, to dance until he'd drop off his feet. He couldn't. There were too many things on his mind.

He got no answer from any of his friends. He told himself it was because only several days had passed and the mail services at Oz were always slow (the Birds that were responsible for its distribution were always striking, from various reasons), but that didn't make him less worried. He was anxious to hear some news, and the papers provided very little of that. Speculations, accusation, and unnecessary gossip, on the other hand, were widely common. It disgusted him to such an extent that he had stopped checking the newspapers altogether. They weren't actually telling him anything new; only lies. He had never realized how powerful words could be, until that week. In a way, the citizens of Oz got what they wanted. They were destroying Elphaba, slowly and consistently, only with word.

Apparently, she disappeared without a trace. It made him relieved; it made the rest of them furious. And they couldn't accept defeat. She had to be destroyed; it had to be stronger than words on a paper. The accusations grew wilder and worse with each passing day, marking the sole purpose of the citizens of Oz. Capturing Elphaba wouldn't satisfy them; not anymore. Now they all wanted her dead.

If only he knew how to contact Glinda. Was she still at the Emerald City? When she told him she was to join Elphaba on her journey, they were supposed to spend 3 weeks in the City, then return home for the rest of the break. Although it's been less than 3 weeks since they got to the City, after everything that happened, he doubted anything would go as they planned. Glinda could be home by now; Oz knew where Elphaba was.

He sighed. More than anything, he hated uncertainties. That was unusual for him, actually, as he was always such a great believer in changes. Yet under the circumstances, uncertainties made him feel so insecure, so helpless. He just wanted to know something, anything, that would help him sleep at night.

Looking around again, everything seemed incredibly similar to another night not so long ago; the night he had first stepped into the Oz-Dust Ballroom.

He didn't think highly of the Oz-Dust at first. Indeed, everyone agreed that it was the most swankified place in town, but what a small town it was. As central as it was on the map of Oz, Shiz University was built at a fair distance from any big city. Some said it was made on purpose, as the first headmaster and the founders of the University believed in serious studies, and refused to provide their students with all sorts of distractions that would come in the way with their studies. Having known all that, he assumed there couldn't have been any truly swankified sources of entertainment around, at least not as swankified as those he knew from home.

Yet there were times in which assumptions tended to have to no connection to the truth.

He had never seen anything like the Oz-Dust Ballroom. Tiny lights appeared and disappeared over their heads as they walked in, like little stars. In summertime, they magicked off the roof, so people were dancing under real starlight, said Galinda.

Soon they were dancing, and he found that Galinda, his date for the evening, was practically perfect in every way. It's been a while since he had danced with a decent partner, one who could match his own steps so well. Everyone else was really nice too. Generally he was having a fairly swankified time.

That is, until Galinda decided to introduce her roommate to him.

He recognized her the moment she walked into the ballroom several hours later, wearing that ridiculous witch's hat, that surprisingly enough looked just right on her. It was that girl. The one Avaric almost ran over that morning. He cursed his bad luck. He didn't want to have anything to do with her after the way she snapped at him in front of everyone.

Not that anyone seemed to care. In fact, the only interest everyone seemed to take in her had to do with her green skin. That morning, he thought it was some sort of an illusion of the morning sun. He was hardly ever awake at that point of the day; perhaps it was typical to those hours he was not familiar with. But as Galinda and her were approaching him, he could see that it wasn't so. It was more than an illusion of the light. She was truly, really, genuinely green.

He had no idea what was it that made Galinda change her mind all of a sudden. One moment she was burying her head in his jacket, begging him not to stare at the girl as she walked in, and the next moment she joined her in the middle of the dance-floor and began to imitate her strange moves. To his astonishment, more and more people began to do the same and dance around them as the music resumed.

As if she remembered who he was, she didn't seem too happy to come over there and meet him. Galinda had to practically drag her towards him; he could tell as much from their body language. She had that frown written all over her face as they approached him.

"Dearest! I want you to meet someone!" Galinda chimed, firmly holding the green girl's arm. "This is my roommate, Elphaba Thropp. Elphaba, this is Fiyero Tiggular."

He flashed his best smile at her. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Elphaba," he said, extending his hand.

She didn't take it, so he just dropped it down, stealing a glance around to make sure no-one had noticed. "I'm afraid that's not mutual, Master Tiggular," she replied icily.

"Elphaba!" Galinda hissed, looking horrified. Then she let out a nervous giggle, as if to clear the tensed atmosphere, and said cheerfully, "Well, I'll go and powder my nose and leave you two to get acquainted!"

He wanted to protest. There was no way he would stay there alone with that girl, or his reputation would be ruined forever. But before he could say anything, Galinda bounced away, until she was just a tiny pink dot among the dancers.

As his eyes were fixed back on the green girl, her gaze was turned away from him. It looked as if she was checking on that pretty girl in the wheelchair, the one that Galinda set up with Boq that morning.

"A friend of yours?" he asked casually.

"My sister."

"Oh."

Well, that definitely didn't help to fill in the silence until Galinda's return as he hoped it would. She didn't seem willing to engage in small-talk. Ah well. His gaze wandered towards the girl in the wheelchair. Her sister. His forehead cringed in concentration as he tried to make sense in this new information. There didn't seem to be any obvious resemblance between the two. To begin with, the other one was not green. She looked slightly younger and a bit more… feminine? Lady-like? He wasn't sure exactly how to put it.

"Do you mind?" her voice cut through, sharp and insistent, shaking him off his reverie.

He gave her a confused look. "What? What did I do?"

"You were staring at me."

"You don't like being stared at?" he asked dumbly. She gave him a look. An involuntary shiver went through him. "You don't like being stared at. Alright, I'll be sure to remember that. My apologies."

"There's much more you should consider apologizing for."

"I beg your pardon?"

"This morning on the lawn? Your driver almost knocked me over. Or were you too sleepy to remember?"

He found himself too stunned to answer. Never ever in his life did he meet a girl who answered back. Usually, one compliment was enough to knock them off their feet. He was sure that deep down inside, Miss Elphaba Greeny Thropp was no different; it'd just take some more thorough work to soften her.

"Well, perhaps it is you who should consider apologizing, not me," he slowly replied.

By the slight change in her expression, she obviously wasn't expecting such a backfire. He cheered inwardly, then looked at her expectedly. Her eyes narrowed. "Why in Oz should I be the one apologizing?"

"Because if you watched where you were going, perhaps you weren't in my driver's way, and no damage would have been done to my father's carriage," he replied evenly. It actually made sense. He was proud of his answer.

"You know perfectly well it was your driver's fault, not mine!"

"How would I know? I was sleeping!"

She seemed to want to answer, but couldn't, as Galinda returned and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. "Having fun, you two?"

"I have to go check on Nessa," Elphaba muttered. She dismissed him with one look before she made her way to the other end of the ballroom.

"Well, that was… interesting," he said, half to Galinda, half to himself.

Galinda giggled, as if she missed the sarcasm his voice carried. Ah well.

He stole one glance at Elphaba as she knelt next to her sister's wheelchair and whispered something in her ear. He just watched her for a moment, noticing her changed body language when she was talking with her sister. Her expression seemed to soften, her motions lost their stiffness. Then, as if feeling she was being watched, she looked over her shoulder and their eyes met. She gave him another blood-freezing glare.

Defeated, he turned his gaze away. There had to be a way to get to her; he'd just have to have some time to work it out. And in the meantime, having one enemy among the rest of them who seemed to adore him wasn't so bad. He shrugged. Yes, he could definitely live with that.

He extended his arm to Galinda, who gladly took it. It was nice to know that he didn't lose his charm completely. "Come on, pretty one. Let's dance."

Someone laid a hand on his shoulder. The touch came so suddenly, he nearly jumped with a start. Looking up, he saw Avaric standing there, smiling brilliantly. He didn't even hear him approach. "So, it's not that bad, is it?"

He shook his head, shaking off the remainders of his daydream. "Well, it could have been worse," he replied, taking a forth glass of champagne from a passing servant, laying the empty one on his tray. Only after taking a long sip, he looked at Avaric, who was looking at him strangely, one eyebrow raised. "What?"

"It's your forth in the last hour," Avaric pointed out. "Don't think I didn't notice."

He shrugged, quite indifferent to his servant's observation. "So? I can handle much more than four drinks, as you well know."

"Your father is watching you."

His gaze wandered at the same direction Avaric's gaze was set upon. Face expressionless, he tossed his glass high in the air to acknowledge his father, who was standing across the room.

"Ooh, someone is looking for trouble," Avaric muttered. He glared at him. Avaric didn't flinch, just took the glass from his hand, ignoring his attempt to protest. "Come on. That's enough. Go out there and be social."

"I don't feel like being social," he grumbled.

"Well, try," Avaric insisted.

"I'm sorry I don't feel like celebrating when my friends may be in danger."

"By friends you surely mean one specific friend."

He glared at his servant. "Watch your mouth, Avaric."

"What? No-one heard."

"Even the walls have ears these days."

"Fiyero, my son," said his father, now in front of him. A tall man peered at him from over his shoulder. He looked twice his father's size, with a huge mustache and a wide smile. He looked flushed, and tiny beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.

"Father."

"Surely you remember my old friend, Norbutz Anp."

"You grew up to be just as handsome as your father," said the fat man; his smile got impossibly wider as they shook hands. Now he remembered him. He used to spend a lot of time at the family's castle during his childhood. Whenever him and his father weren't busy, he used to sit on Norbutz's knees and listen to his endless stories.

"Thank you, sir. Good to see you again."

"And may I introduce my daughter, Leonella," said Norbutz, stepping aside.

Only now he noticed the third person that was there, a young woman, completely hidden by her father's wide form. Now as she stepped forward, he realized why. She was as petite as Glinda, only this was were her resemblance to Glinda ended. Her gown was of scarlet velvet, bringing out the auburn of her hair, tied back in a sophisticated bun. Her beauty was fierce and radiant, and she seemed to be quite aware of it as she flashed a brilliant smile at him and swept him a curtsey. "Master Tiggular."

Ugh. He was always so embarrassed when they did that. He wasn't even officially a prince. The title was just running in the family. Like his father before, he had never claimed it, yet they all always acted as if he did. He waited for her to straighten up before he took her gloved hand and kissed it, saying nothing.

"Why don't you get acquainted on the dance-floor?" his father asked, practically pushing him forward.

"Father, I don't-"

"Oh, but I insist. Miss Leonella will not take 'no' for an answer, will you, dear?" His father looked from the girl to him, giving him a no-nonsense look that said 'do it, or else'. He swallowed the rest of his protest and led her on.

XoxoxoxoX

It was horrible. It was as if she had never danced before. He knew that he wasn't the problem; he was famous in being a strong lead, and still that didn't stop her from stepping on his feet constantly. And he could shrug it off if there was a conversation going on to distract him from the recurring pain in his feet, but they didn't even have that. Miss Leonella did not attend college, as her family did not believe in wasting time on educating a young woman who would soon be a wife anyway, so there wasn't much he could talk to her about. She was so vain, so empty, so… well, boring. Did he sound as empty as her before Shiz? It was this miserable attempt that convinced him that he should stick to his decision to remain in school.

"So? How was she?" Avaric asked once he managed to set himself free from both the girl and his father's eye.

"Boring. There's nothing I could talk to her about."

"Well, with a little bit of luck, talking won't even be necessary," Avaric said winking, with that naughty sparkle in his eyes.

From some reason, he couldn't even imagine this happen. "Oh no. Not that. Tomorrow morning I'll go to my father and end up this charade."

"Saying what?"

"That there's another girl. If marrying Glinda is what saves me from this madness, this is what I'll do." Leonella and her father were leaving the ballroom, a safe distance away. Well, at least he wasn't expecting to go over there and bid them farewell. Just before they left, she turned to flash him a seductive smile.

Weakly, he raised a hand to wave in return. He felt sick to his stomach. "Madness, madness, madness," he muttered, but Avaric just shrugged with that small smile at the corner of his lips, as if he knew better.

XoxoxoxoX

This time he knew it before he even opened his eyes. He didn't know how, but she was there again, kissing her way up his chest, his throat, his chin. He wouldn't push her off, he decided. Not this time. He'd see how far this dream could go. He buried his hands in her hair to draw her closer as his lips crushed against hers, as if he was waiting for that moment his entire life.

Well, he _was_ waiting for that moment. He would never admit it, not even to himself, but that first dream left him yearning for more. He knew he shouldn't expect the same dream again; rarely, it happened. Thank Oz it was happening now.

She pressed herself against him as their kiss deepened; the satin of her negligee making contact with his bare skin, making him shiver. Only the need to breathe made him break their kiss eventually. He trailed his lips along her jaw-line, his arms gently wrapped around her waist. But there was still this wonder, still this one question, that wouldn't let him alone. He had to know why she was doing this; why she was haunting his dreams that way.

"What do you want?" he murmured into her ear.

She looked straight at him, her eyes dark with desire. "The question is," she said, her voice a seductive whisper, "What do _you_ want, Master Tiggular?"

His eyes snapped open. He was alone, and wide-awake. First light was breaking into his room. He sat up, staring emptily at the entangled sheets. He felt like such a fool. What did he expect to happen? Was he really expecting a justification from her? Why would she give him one; this was a dream, there were no justifications for dreams!

There was one thing he was certain of. She was on his mind way more than she should have been. This was wrong. It had to stop. He felt as if he had lost control on his own thoughts and that scared him. Well, he'd make sure to keep control from now on. No more. She would confuse him no more.

And with that decision, he pulled the covers over his head and went back to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: for my own defense let me just say- this delay was _not_ my fault! This chapter has been ready days ago, only the site had (another) problem with the document manager. SB people should know what I'm talking about. On this note- _hello SB people_! haha. Okay, enough said. Happy reading and _please review_! I promise to update faster if you will...**

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**Chapter 6**

Another week had passed, but he hardly noticed. He was in a constant daze, the result of massive lack of sleep. He could feel it all the way to his bones now, that achy drowsiness that wouldn't go away. The dreams got more frequent, more realistic, and they kept him awake for hours afterwards. Nothing ever happened; no more than in the first dream, that is. She teased him endlessly, yes, she had definitely done that. Whenever he attempted to take the dream a step further, to rip off the offensive material of her negligee, to ask her questions, she would always do something to distract him, until eventually she was just gone.

But something did happen. Being too tired to make sense of his feelings, he wasn't sure what it was, but something was definitely happening to him. He found himself expecting those dreams, yearning for her. And it wasn't just physical, not anymore. It was more than that.

Sometimes he had different dreams, horrible ones, from which he awoke with a start, crying out her name. They seized her in those dreams, tortured her to death, and no matter how much he tried, he never managed to help her. It was as if he was destined to stand there each time, as if rooted to his place, and watch her fade away by whichever means they had chosen to destroy her with.

"Fiyero?"

He opened his eyes. His eyelids felt as heavy as steel. When did he even close them? He blinked once, twice, until the figure of his father became focused. It took him another moment to make out his surroundings. It was morning, and he was having breakfast with his parents. "What?"

His father looked concerned. "Is everything alright?"

His mother, sitting across from him, seemed to be asking herself the same thing. He nodded. "Everything is fine; I just didn't get much sleep last night."

"Did you stay up late reading again?" his father asked, now sounding sympathetic.

He smirked at the irony of that. When he used to be just as drowsy from nights of partying and drinking, his father's tone was never as understanding. "No, not last night."

"Well, then, the fresh air will certainly do wonders on you."

He didn't follow. "Fresh air, sir?"

"Don't you remember? We're going out riding, and we are to dine at my friend Norbutz's estate."

Oh. Ugh. _Now_ he remembered. Although a week had passed since the ball, he still didn't get a chance to tell his father about Glinda. Apparently, his father was completely taken by his friend's daughter. The boring one. His choice didn't seem to matter at all. His father seemed quite determined to marry him off to Miss Leonella. As things were at the moment, he was too exhausted to dissuade him from doing so.

But riding. That naturally meant hunting as well. And he wasn't sure how he felt about this once favorite activity, ever since he began gaining knowledge about the miserable condition of Animals in the Land of Oz. Of course, there were strict laws that restricted the possibilities of hunting to animals alone, but he still wasn't sure that that wasn't against his principles as well. Could he shoot a goat without thinking back on poor Dr. Dillamond? Could he ever look at a lion cub again without thinking back about… about…

Ugh, her again. Those recurring dreams made serious damage to his determined decision never to think of her again. Now he was thinking about her constantly. Her lips, her hair, her skin, they were all distracting, even when he was awake. And if he closed his eyes, just for a moment, he could-

"Fiyero!"

His eyes snapped open. He could feel blush crawling up his throat, settling on his cheeks. His face felt on fire. He was disgusted with himself. How could he possible think all those things when his parents were right there in the room with him?

"Maybe he shouldn't come along," his mother said with a worried brow. A spark of hope made him feel more awake.

Unfortunately, yet expectantly enough, his father shook his head. "Absolutely not! Leonella is expecting him."

"I'm really not feeling that well," he tried, pulling off a weary face. Well, not that he had to put much effort in that; he felt drained.

His father dismissed him with a shake of an arm. "Nonsense. You'll be fine once you'll have some fresh air."

"Yes, _that_, or I'll fall off the back of my horse," he muttered, getting up. "I guess I need to get ready then."

His father looked pleased. His mother still seemed a bit worried, so he did the slightest nod with his head to assure her he was fine, before he excused himself and left the dining hall.

XoxoxoxoX

They took off an hour or so later. They were a small group; his father and some of his servant boys rode at the front, and Avaric and himself in the rear. He guided his horse to keep a slow trotting pace. He didn't feel like catching up with his father and listen to more stories about his friend's daughter.

From the corner of his eye he could tell that Avaric was stealing sideway glances at him every now and again. He pretended not to notice. He knew that Avaric was probably following some order he got from his father to watch him on their way. Of course, he was a loyal servant, but it was clear to both that the Master's order were always in higher priority.

Soon they met with Norbutz and his men, and the party made its way to the hunting area, a small distance away from the Anp estate, in the heart of a small grove. His thoughts drifted as they rode along. It was so easy to be carried away by them. It wasn't so early in the morning, but there was still this light breeze that caressed their faces as they rode against it. Its touch sort of felt like… Oh _no_. He was doing it again. He was thinking about her _again_! Ugh. Now he couldn't stop thinking about the way the tips of her hair tickled his skin.

He remembered the first time he had noticed her hair. It was his second day in school, and already it felt as if he had been there forever. He held back a yawn, because the Goat at the front of the class didn't seem to appreciate his constant yawning. Lacking anything else he could do- Oz forbid he'd _listen_ to what the old Goat was talking about so passionately- he leaned back and did one of the things he actually excelled in- observe.

After the swankified party the night before, he knew everyone's names, and everyone knew his, but he thought he'd better practice in remembering who was whom according to their seats. Only… Wait, he didn't know this one. True, he couldn't tell much of her as she (probably she) was sitting at the front and therefore with her back to him, but he knew he would never forget such hair if he encountered it before. He had always had that weakness to girls' hair, especially like _that_. It was raven-colored, so long it got almost to her waist, and so thick your fingers would probably be lost if you ran them through it.

He leaned onto his desk now, and craned his neck so he could have a better look, maybe even catch a glimpse of the face to which the wonderful hair belonged.

And then, as if feeling she was being watched, she turned.

His unused quill dropped to the floor along with his textbook and a few pieces of parchment, making an incredible noise. Everyone looked over their shoulders, startled by the sudden interruption. The Goat stopped his speech mid-sentence but said nothing, as if he was waiting for the silence to commence itself.

He flushed to the roots of his hair. That was _embarrassing_. He swallowed his pride, flashed the Goat an apologetic smile and tried to pick up his belongings without paying much attention to himself.

"If you're all settled now, young man, I shall go on," the Goat said quite calmly.

"Sorry about that, sir," he mumbled. He could hardly look up and meet his eyes.

A few moments later the Goat resumed his monotonous speech, and the concentration was back in the classroom. He held back a sigh of relief, ignoring Galinda's inquiring looks, two desks away.

Feeling bad for his interruption to the class, he was determined to listen to the Goat no matter what, but soon it was proven impossible. His gaze wandered involuntarily to the front of the class again, right under the Goat's nose, to what drew his attention in the first place. But how was it possible that this wonderfully thick raven-colored hair was _hers_? It seemed almost wrong, for someone like her to possess a source of female beauty such as this.

She turned suddenly and their eyes met before he managed to turn his gaze away. Oh no. Her features changed within an instant. She was glaring viciously at him, and then with a toss of her hair, she turned her attention back to the Goat.

He didn't know back then it was Galinda who was responsible for the green girl's makeover. Only a week or so later, when she showed up to class in full Galinda-attire, did he realize that his girlfriend had something to do with it. Although at first sight he was fairly appalled, the more time he spent staring at her during class, the more he admitted to himself that she looked… well, beautiful.

But being so slow and brainless, by the time he figured it out, what was meant to sound like a compliment came out stammered and lame, and later on, when he got a chance to be alone with her, he ran off.

"I won't ask what is it on your mind because I think I know," Avaric's voice invaded his thoughts. "I know you told me you didn't want to talk about it, but let me just say, Master, you don't look so well lately."

There was something in Avaric's tone that touched his heart. Rarely did he sound so honest. Most of the time he was just annoying with his endless teasing, but now he looked seriously concerned. He sighed. "Yes, I'm not sleeping well lately."

"Still haven't heard about her?"

It was hard to tell if by "her" Avaric was referring to Elphaba or to Glinda, but as it wasn't the reason for his sleeplessness, he shook his head. "No, that's not it."

"What is it then?"

Maybe he could tell Avaric. Maybe talking about it would help him to make sense of whatever it was he was feeling. He gently pulled the reins, slowing down his horse, and motioned Avaric to do the same, until both their horses trotted in a considerable distance from the rest of the party. He hesitated, then said, "Last night, I had a dream."

Avaric looked slightly confused. "You didn't sleep well because of a bad dream?"

"No. Well, not exactly. What I'm trying to say is that I've had this same dream for a while now." He took his gaze off the road for a moment fix it with Avaric's. "It's about her."

"Her," Avaric echoed, although he didn't seem to get it yet.

"Elphaba."

"What kind of dr- _oh_." He lowered his head in silent admittance. Avaric shook his head in dismay. "You're in a deep trouble. Deep, _deep_ trouble."

He sighed impatiently. "Yes, Avaric, I know as much. I was hoping for something more helpful."

"Well, not that I necessarily want to know, but what's happening in those dreams? Are you…?"

He shook his head in reply to Avaric's silent question. "No. I just… sort of wake up and she's there. We kiss, but that's it."

"That doesn't sound like a nightmare to me. Where is the problem?"

"The problem is it's driving me crazy. She's driving me crazy. I don't know why it has to be her or why she's doing this, and I'm still waiting for her to show up."

"Maybe the reason it's driving you crazy is because you're just resisting what's right out there."

"Which is what?"

"It seems to me… that you start having feelings for the green girl."

He stared at Avaric for so long he nearly rode straight into a tree. Luckily, he caught sight of it just in time and pulled the reigns forcefully. Then he returned his gaze to Avaric. "_What_? No."

"You're spending hours at your father's library to read and do your homework, you get insanely worried and agitated when you read the news from the Emerald City, you're desperate for every piece of information to be assured she is safe. I'll say there is only one plausible explanation for all that."

"I _do not_ have feelings for Elphaba!" he interjected, hoping he could wipe that smug expression off his servant's face. "She's a friend of mine, that's all."

"If that's all, answer me this. When was the last time we went out for a drink or went out dancing? When was the last time you flirted with someone for the fun of it?"

"I told you. I'm over those things now," he replied, but his mind was racing. He wasn't beginning to resemble her… was he?

"You came back from Shiz behaving like a whole different person. Surely you remember the last time you were acting the same," Avaric remarked then, sounding somewhat hesitant.

Of course, he remembered. "That was in the past. Latissa is in the past. I don't want to talk about this."

"All I'm saying is that the exact same thing happened to you when you fell for the Princess."

"Yes, minus the dreams," he replied dryly. Although it's been years, and he was definitely over that miserable love affair, it was still somewhat painful to bring it up.

"Minus the dreams. Which makes the situation even more serious now, if I may say."

Avaric's remark remained hung in the air between them as they rode in silence for the rest of the way. Of course, Avaric's observation seemed plausible, given that he witnessed his changed behavior when he fell for Latissa several years back, but _was_ it plausible? Did he start having feelings for Elphaba? Yes, he was aware of the change within him, of his taking interest in reading and all that, but he associated it with the trauma of Dr. Dillamond's forced departure. But then again, there was that other thing that happened that day, that other question he still couldn't solve.

_Why was I the only one you didn't do it to?_

He remembered the feeling of her fingers against his skin, fluttering ever so gently over the bleeding mark that the lion cub left on his cheek. He remembered how for a moment, he forgot how to breathe. He remembered that sudden urge to get away, before he'd say something he'd regret on, or worse, before she'd say something he wouldn't want to hear.

Oz, that was his biggest mistake. He should have stayed. He shouldn't have acted like such a coward. Instead, he chose the easy way out and ran off; only it wasn't the easy way. It tormented him to this day. Only now, everything seemed to come together into a frightfully clear truth, a truth that was always there, right under his nose. He guessed he had to hear someone utter the words to make sense of it.

He was in love.

He was head over heels in love with the green girl.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm uploading this even though the story/review alerts are off, because you can never know for how long those would stay off, and I really wanted this story to make **_**some**_** progress. I've got some more written ahead, so updates might get a bit more frequent now. Please review, in spite of the alert thing. **

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Chapter 7**

Before he knew it, he was on his way to Shiz again. He couldn't believe that the spring break had lasted so little a time. Maybe it was because he managed to do so many things, time seemed to fly by. Nonetheless, he was glad to go back. He missed his friends, and Glinda, and, as unusual to him as it was, he couldn't wait for classes to commence.

Surprisingly enough, the constant movement of the train didn't lull him to sleep. He just stared at the passing view absent-mindedly, as his thoughts drifted to the happenings of the week before. He ended up not telling his parents a word about Glinda. There was no meaningful progress with the match they tried to enforce on him; although they were pleased with Leonella, no promises had been made regarding their future marriage or engagement. It seemed as if his father was willing to wait until his graduation, and for that he was grateful to him. He knew that by then, he'd find some way to get rid himself of the way-too-pretty and deeply shallow Leonella.

Truth to be told, he feared from what he was about to find at Shiz. Only one of his friends had replied his letter, and he claimed to know very little as well. Nessarose did not reply. He hoped that she was alright. Of course, thinking of her instinctively led him to think of her sister, but he shook his head. He wouldn't do this to himself. Avaric might be right and he might be in love, but there was no use pondering over it, no use torturing himself. She was gone; life went on. And even if she wasn't gone, it could never have been. She despised him; she had every reason to. Besides, they were too different. Yes, that's it. Different. He'd better just forget about it.

XoxoxoxoX

He could feel it right as he walked through the enormous gates. This was not the Shiz he had left several weeks ago. Everything seemed somber and grim, from the students he met on the road to some of the teachers he encountered on his way to the dorms. Even the trees seemed not as before. It was as if the happenings in the Emerald City had their effect on everyone. They didn't look scared, just… sort of gloomy. And it was contagious; his high-spirits in which he had left home were slowly fading away as well, adjoining the gloominess all around.

Once he was settled and dressed with the school's uniform, he made his way to the main auditorium, where the new headmistress was about to deliver a speech. He wondered what happened to Madame Morrible. Horrible Morrible, he secretly called her. Whatever happened, he was glad she was gone. There was something about her he didn't really like, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He knew better than going against his instincts. There was something in this woman, and it meant no good.

The auditorium already seemed packed as he walked in, so he had to find a seat at the very back. It was suspiciously quiet all around, not the usual hustle and bustle one would expect from a bunch of students who had not seen one another for several weeks. There was this constant murmur as people conversed with one another in low voices. He recognized some of their faces, nodded to some in acknowledgement. Neither Nessarose nor Glinda were around.

Then, after a few moments, a lady made her way upstage. She was tall and impressive, even in the great distance at which he was sitting, and sophistically dressed in gold and purple. Silence took over the grand room as she raised both her arms.

"Welcome back, dear students," she began. "I am your new headmistress Madame Laline. It is of my duty to inform you of some of the latest happenings in our country, but it is of your responsibility to take care of yourselves as well as your friends. As you all may have heard, several weeks ago, at the Emerald City…"

He stopped listening at that point. He knew what she would say, just as he knew that he wouldn't like to hear it. More lies. It was as if the papers dictated this one version to all of those in high authority in order to frighten the younger generation even more. He looked around and saw that some of his fellow students looked utterly skeptic as well. He recognized some of those as those who actually befriended with Elphaba after Glinda had taken her under her wing. They shook their heads in dismay as each lie, each repeated accusation, was uttered by the new headmistress, whom his instincts told him would be as bad as the other one was.

Then, from the corner of his eye, he detected a movement at the right wing of the auditorium. As he turned his gaze from the stage, a side-door was slowly opened, and a small figure hesitantly walked in. She was almost unrecognizable. In fact, he would never have recognized her if it wasn't for the gold of her hair, even though her glorious curls seemed less glorious than normally. She wasn't adorned in anything expensive or stylish-looking, but in simple black and white, the school colors, like every other student. It seemed as if she did all she could in order to avoid a public entry, and it seemed to work. Her entry didn't catch anyone's attention, but his own.

He smiled inwardly at her change. It looked proper, considering that she and Elphaba became such close friends after that night at the Oz-Dust. He could only imagine what Glinda was going through at the moment. She was looking down at the lady on the stage, her expression blank, yet there was something very cold and distant in her eyes. She looked sad. No, he then realized. She looked heart-broken.

Looking at her standing there, defenseless yet so strong-looking at the same time, caused some old feelings to surface back. There was something in her composure that made him admire her, admire her strength, the way she could stand there and listen to all that had been said about who was her best friend. She was changed; he could tell as much by a single look. It was as if she matured overnight. And he liked that; somehow it showed off the woman he always knew was within her, the woman Galinda didn't let anyone see. And then another thing dawned on him. Whereas it was Galinda who caught his attention at first, for being so much like him, it was Glinda whom he could actually love.

Although he hoped she would, she didn't meet his gaze. Her eyes were drawn to the stage. It looked as if she was aware of nothing but the lady speaking about things she herself had witnessed. Her whole appearance implied insecurity. She looked traumatized. Well, who wouldn't be? Oz knew what had really happened there. He felt so sorry for her.

He was out of his seat before they were even given a permission to rise. He knew she would attempt to exit as unnoticed as before, but he had to talk to her. He made his way towards her as discreetly as he possibly could; he didn't want to be the one to expose her. The hall was still deserted as he walked out of the auditorium, but there was a glimpse of white as she disappeared around a corner.

"Glinda!" he half whispered, half called, running forward to catch up with her.

She didn't stop. He guessed she didn't recognize his voice. As he passed the corner he could see her, rushing down the hall. Luckily, he was faster. He approached her quickly and grabbed her arm, using as little force as he could.

She turned at that, and he was shocked at her sight. She was pale, and there was this terrified expression on her face, as if the sudden grab of her arm scared her. Then she seemed to realize who he was, and her expression instantly changed. She gasped with relief and threw her arms around his neck, almost desperately. "Fiyero," she whispered, her lips close to his ear. There was this unmistakenable dampness against the skin of his neck. She was crying.

He gently removed her arms from his neck so he could have a better look at her. Then he took his handkerchief out of his waistcoat and handed in to her. There was a noise from down the hall. It was increasing by the second, as if coming closer. He had to work fast. He took hold of her arm again, but was careful to be gentler this time. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

They made their way to the small grove at the end of the campus, and he forced himself not to think about the last time he was headed there, and with whom. There was a bench in the heart of the grove; he remembered it from the days he used to miss classes and come over there to sleep among the light breeze, and he led Glinda there. He said nothing for a while, allowing her to regain her composure, to dry her tears. Then he gently asked, "Are you alright?"

She looked up at him, her eyes looking amazingly blue, glazing with the remainder of tears. "I'm fine. Thank you," she replied, her voice trembling slightly. She looked so fragile.

He looked at her pleadingly, and it seemed as if she knew what he wanted before he had uttered it. "Tell me."

Glinda sighed and closed her eyes, then looked back at him hesitantly. What was she afraid of? Did she fear someone was listening? Was it that bad? When she spoke, her voice was not higher than a whisper. "That's not the way it happened there with the Monkeys. That's not the way it happened at all. She thought she was helping them. They gave her that book and she-"

"They?"

"The Wizard and Madame Morrible. This is why she is no longer here. She became his press-secretary. That was an extremely generous compensation for leading Elphie straight into his trap."

He needed just a moment to take this in. So Madame Morrible was… working for the Wizard? Then he remembered there was more; much more. "Then what?"

"They brought in that old book… you know, the Grimmerie." Of course, he had heard about the legendary book. He nodded, urging her to go on. "And they asked her to prove herself by performing a spell out of it. A levitation spell."

That was an ambitious request. No one could read that book, the old myths had said. Only a few people could decipher the ancient, mysterious words. He thought he realized the reason for Elphaba's trouble. "And she couldn't do it?"

To his surprise, Glinda snorted. "Oh, she could alright. Only they didn't tell her the real purpose for the spell they asked her to perform. She thought she was doing it for the Monkeys' own good-"

"But it was for the Wizard's own good, and not the Monkeys'," he completed slowly, as the horrible truth began to reveal itself to him.

Glinda nodded. "Exactly. Then he tried to talk her into cooperating with him, but she wouldn't hear of it. So she ran off… and they ran off right after her." She lowered her head sorrowfully. A tear slipped down, leaving a damp mark on her skirt, but she didn't wipe her eyes. "The attic was a dead end, and they were coming for us. Oh Oz," she shuddered, as if the memory of it was too much to take. He wrapped his arms protectively around her. "There was this broomstick. She intended to use it to barricade the door, but then she… she did that same levitation spell on the broom. At first we thought it didn't work, but then it… it…" her voice trailed off, and she shook her head. "The guards broke down the door and grabbed me. I looked around for Elphie but I couldn't find her, and the next thing I remember is her, in the air on that broom, before she disappeared into the night."

They sat there in silence for a few moments. Although he still had so many questions, it seemed wrong to disturb her, so he used those moments of silence to make sense of what he had just heard. Some of it had only confirmed his previous suspicions, a result of his recent reading. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, it turned out, was less than wonderful. He was a pathetic, powerless man who intended to use the power of an innocent young woman, only she knew better. She had defied him. She had defied gravity. She disappeared into the night.

Thank Oz she knew better.

"The guards brought me back to the Wizard's throne," Glinda continued. "He was furious; so was Madame Morrible. They didn't know what to do with me, so they kept me in one of the rooms in the palace until they figured out their strategy. The next morning I was summoned again and was promised with a social advancement in return for my silence."

He looked at her for the longest moment. The evenness of her tone confused him. She didn't accept it, did she? She couldn't, not after everything she had just told him.

Only her eyes said otherwise.

To his incredulous look, she softly replied, "Please don't judge me, Dearest. You have no idea how it felt… how scared I was… and I figured it was for Elphaba's safety if I'd keep silence. Who knows what speaking in her defense may cause her if they ever find her."

He nodded. It actually made sense. "What exactly is a social advancement?"

"I'm not sure. My graduation stands as a condition for it as well. I guess I'll have to wait and see." She shook her head and looked at him. "I felt like such a coward for sacrificing my friendship with Elphie that way, but the more I think of it, the more it feels like it's better this way."

He shook his head in reply, his thoughts elsewhere. _Was_ it better this way? The Wizard knew just the thing to trap Glinda and keep her at his side; he suspected that Madame Morrible had something to do with it. Social advancement meant the world for Galinda. He was somewhat disappointed to discover that in spite of everything, Glinda was not so different.

XoxoxoxoX

The sun was setting when he left the library, which made the old, grumpy librarian to cock his eyebrow suspiciously. Indeed, it was unusual; he wouldn't have been caught dead in the library the previous semester, and now he was there on his first day back, skipping dinner in order to find all the books and essays that appeared both on the syllabus and the list of recommended reading. The pile of books with which he left the library made walking almost impossible, as it hid most of his field of vision. He adjusted it so he was now carrying several books under each arm, and returned to his dorm room.

Once the books were nicely piled on his desk, it dawned on him that he ate nothing since lunch, and that was a very long time ago. His stomach was rumbling in further protest. As there was nothing edible in his room, he took some money and left his room in search for food.

He decided to head towards one of his favorite cafés when a familiar figure on the opposite side of the road caught his sight. It was the first time he had seen her; he assumed they didn't have classes together. Forgetting his initial plans for dinner, he raced towards her. Then when he was quite close, he slowed down, making it look as if he had just passed by. He didn't want to frighten her like he did with Glinda that morning.

"Miss Nessarose," he said, hoping to catch her attention.

She turned at the sound of her name, smiled in recognition, and wheeled herself towards him. He bowed as she came closer. "Master Tiggular. It's good to see you again," her voice was even, as if it lost the youthful warmth that used to be there.

"I'm on my way to get some coffee. Will you join me?" he asked as casually as he could.

She blushed, and seemed quite embarrassed at that involuntary reaction. Hesitance was written all over her face. "I probably shouldn't," she said meekly.

"Oh, but I insist." He knelt in front of her wheelchair, locking his gaze with hers. Then he said, softly yet seriously, "I just want to talk."

She said nothing for a moment, and then slowly nodded in silent consent. He stood up and wheeled her over to the café, keeping the conversation as light as he could on their way.

Once they were seated and their orders were set in front of them, he took a moment to observe her. She still looked somewhat hesitant to be sitting there alone with a boy, but he was determined to make her feel more comfortable. The trauma of several weeks ago was clearly visible against her pretty features. The natural sparkle in her eyes appeared dim. She wasn't smiling as often and as openly as before; rather, she was constantly serious.

He sipped his coffee and decided to ask her what was on his mind, only he debated what would be the best way to approach the issue. Whereas he wanted her to open up to him, they were never close friends. He feared that too blunt a question would frighten her, or make him appear rude. And he didn't mean to hurt her. On the contrary; she seemed as if she needed a friend.

"You're wondering if I've received your letter," she said suddenly. He looked up in surprise. He wasn't expecting her to initiate the conversation, let alone the issue of his letter. "Well, I have. I'm sorry I didn't reply. I had a lot to attend to at home."

He shook his head. "No need to apologize. I just wanted to make sure that you were well."

"And I wanted to thank you for it. It was nice of you to show concern, under the circumstances."

"You… haven't heard anything from her?" he asked slowly.

It happened within an instant. Suddenly there was something very cold in her eyes. "Not a word, which is all for the better." He was taken aback by her tone. As if she sensed it, she continued. "Our father did not approve her departure for the Emerald City. He sent her here to look after me, he said, not to chase her own personal whims. But I stood for her. I supported her decision when our father objected it and turned his back on her. But then she turned her back on us," she directed her gaze with his, "and I shall never forgive her for it."

She sounded so bitter, so angry. He couldn't believe it was the same cheerful young woman he first encountered the previous semester. "Surely you don't believe everything that has been said in the papers," he tried to dissuade her.

"Whether I believe it or not makes no difference," she replied. "She turned her back on her own family. She betrayed us. She broke our father's heart. She broke _my_ heart for not coming back home once this whole mess started."

He thought, fast. He had to find a way to defend Elphaba, yet at the same time he didn't want to upset Nessarose further. "Try to put yourself in her place. She knew what was about to happen, she didn't want to endanger you."

It didn't have the desirable result. She snorted. "Too bad she didn't take into consideration the mass of reporters and journalists who've been waiting outside our door ever since it happened. As far as my father is concerned, it is as bad as being chased by the Gale Force."

He leaned back in his seat, defeated. It felt as if nothing he'd say would be the right thing. It seemed there was no way to comfort or dissuade her. "If there is anything I can do-"

She offered him a faint smile. "That's very chivalrous of you, Master Tiggular, but I'm afraid nothing can be done. I appreciate your concern, and I know my father would have appreciated it as well."

"If you'll need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask, alright?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes. She looked so naïve, so inexperienced. Her cheeks reddened slightly, but he didn't look away. "Promise me," he insisted.

She hesitated, but then nodded. "Alright. I promise."

"Good." He sipped his coffee, and changed the subject expertly. As they started comparing classes and professors, the heavy burden of their previous conversation was beginning to evaporated, but whenever he directed his gaze with hers it still echoed, that accusing tone, that pain in her eyes when she spoke of her sister.

_She broke my heart… I shall never forgive her_.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: hello dearies, thanks for following! Here's chapter 8. Probably not the best chapter, but I'll still appreciate some reviews, mostly because I'm a bit sick right now and reviews will surely cheer me up...**

**happy reading!**

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**Chapter 8**

His father used to say that time could fly by, unnoticed, if you immersed yourself in something until nothing else mattered, not even time. And he had never really realized what his father was talking about, until now. It's been a year since he had last seen Elphaba, as they said their hasty goodbyes on the platform at the train station, when she went away and never came back. And what a hectic year it's been.

It was his second year in Shiz, just before the mid-terms. He was doing fine so far. Well, to be quite truthful, he was doing great. Some of the professors that had the misfortune to teach him on his first semester were astonished by his change in the second semester the previous year. His average at the end of the first year soared. The professors who initially resented him and his disturbances to their classes now tried to speak in favor of their specialties and departments, as he was about to choose a major for the continuation of his studies.

He ended up majoring in social sciences, a combination of his personal interest and his parents' advice. Under his father's recommendation he also registered to some courses about politics and interior affairs. By the time he had to make his choice, it was clear that something bad was happening in Oz. Whereas he knew his professors would probably be biased, predicted he'd resent them and their opinions, he thought it would come up handy at some point of his life. He wasn't sure he wanted to get into politics in the future, knowing how corrupted the system was, but who knew?

So that's what he did. The department of social sciences was demanding, more than he expected, and he had to work really hard to catch up. Little by little, his efforts began to pay off. Of course, most of the time it had to be done instead of other things like spending time with his friends, or with Glinda, and he had never excelled in multitasking. He tried to devote his weekends for spending some quality time with his friends, but as the mid-terms grew closer, even that became somewhat problematic. Most of his friends were really great and supporting; others just couldn't get used to this change in him.

"… Again? But we said we'd go out dancing this weekend!" Glinda practically whined, her tones gradually rising. As the trauma from the previously year was slowly subsiding, she soon became her old self again. The change remained, slight and out there. He could still detect a glimpse of it in her eyes every now and again.

Now wasn't one of those times. He sighed. "Glinda, I must start working on this paper. I must do it this weekend, because next week we're starting that study group I told you about for the exams."

"So you rather write this paper than spend time with me?" she asked, her lower lips trembling slightly.

Ugh, he hated when she did that. Scenes in the hall seemed to be her expertise. He took both her hands in his and gave them a small squeeze. "No, of course not. You know that."

She sniffed. "What about the spring dance? I've already got a dress and shoes and everything."

"And who said something about canceling?"

She glanced at him suspiciously. "You won't change your mind in the last minute?"

"I won't change my mind," he promised. He leaned down and kissed her softly. Slowly pulling away, he smiled at her. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

She returned his smile, looking a bit flushed, as if she wasn't expecting him to kiss her. "Alright. See you later, Dearest."

He remained there for a moment, watching her as she joined a friend and disappeared down the hall with her, and then turned in the opposite direction towards the library.

XoxoxoxoX

After picking the books he needed, he made his way to what had turned out to be 'his' desk, at the farthest end of the library, piled the books on it and took a seat. He had a lot of work to do, so he knew he'd better start right away. He read through the first book munching on an apple. This would have to do; he couldn't waste any time on going out for lunch. The librarian didn't mind; he spent more hours by his desk than at his dorm room, so him and the librarian were on friendlier terms by now.

Soon enough though, his thoughts wandered away from the book. That conversation with Glinda made him feel sort of bad. He didn't meant to hurt her, but he hoped she'd be more supporting now that he decided to take his studies seriously. He liked her, and he liked spending time with her, even if it meant he'd have to endlessly hear stories about who was seeing whom and who sent whom a love note during class, but other than those moments, he really thought their relationship was holding up fairly well.

He finally managed to tell his parents about Glinda that summer. By the time he got back home for the summer vacation, his father regretfully informed him that Leonella Anp was engaged to be married that fall. He attended her wedding right before he left for school again. He was happy for her. And meeting her husband, he was convinced they deserved each other. He was as boring as she was.

After that incident, telling his parents about Glinda seemed easier. Just as Avaric had previously predicted, they were impressed with his choice and thought very highly of the Uplands. It seemed too soon to arrange a gathering with her and his parents. He wanted to wait a while, and his parents respected his wishes. It had one major advantage; he was not forced into dancing with strange girls all that summer. It made him regret he didn't tell them about Glinda sooner.

There was one thing that prevented this summer from being one of his best. The dreams disappeared. Well, truth to be told, they had disappeared even sooner, upon his return to Shiz for the second semester, but whereas he hoped they would return when he'd be back home, they never did. It was strange to him, awaiting to something he wanted and ending up not getting it. Being a prince and an only child, mostly he got what he wanted.

This time seemed to be an exception.

With the dreams gone, forgetting her became easier. He had to forget her. Delving into the past, lamenting the absence of the dreams, were doing him no good. Whereas he was still worried about her, sitting and hopelessly wondering what she was doing wouldn't help her much. No, he figured that in order to really help her, he'd have to excel in his studies. Then, when he'd graduate and head for the Emerald City, he would take her revenge. He would be making good.

No, he told himself, reopening his book. Not making good; making great.

XoxoxoxoX

He was reading through the main section of the newspaper, waiting for Glinda to show up. She was late, so he figured out they probably got an extension in the exam she was taking at the moment. Ah well. He flipped through the pages, trying to find something, anything, but it seemed useless. There were hardly any news about Elphaba anymore. Every now and again there were some reports from different areas around Oz, where she was seen, but she always managed to outsmart them. She had never stayed in the same place more than necessary. By the time the Gale Force arrived to capture her, she was already gone. It made him somewhat frustrated, not to have any news of her, but on the other hand he knew it should reassured him. Lack of news meant that she is safe, at least. When something meaningful appeared on the papers, this would be when he'd really have to start worrying.

He raised his hand to the sound of a soft thud beside him, just in time to see Glinda taking a seat across from him. He smiled and folded the paper, laying it on his pile of books. "Oh hey, you're here. How was the exam?"

She looked a bit weird. Her appearance was flawless, as always, but there was something in her eyes, as if something bothered her. For a moment, she seemed not to understand his question. "What exam? Oh, the exam… it went fine, I guess."

"You guess? You've been studying it for two weeks!" Something was wrong. It seemed as if she wasn't really listening.

The waitress chose that moment to appear, and laid a glass of icy water in front of Glinda. "What can I get you two?"

"Well, actually, could you give us a moment please?" he asked.

"Of course."

Once she was gone, he looked at Glinda. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, sort of," she admitted, lowering her eyes. "I mean, not really. I don't know why it bothers me."

"What? What is it?'

"At the end of the exam, Madame Laline walked in and brought an urgent telegram for Nessa."

For a moment, he forgot how to breathe. _Elphaba_? "What did it say?"

"I didn't know at first. She read it and left the class crying. The first thing that I thought of was that she got news about Elphaba, so I went after her."

"And?"

She shook her head sorrowfully. "It wasn't Elphaba. It's their father. The governor. He's sick, and it looks bad."

Not exactly what Nessarose needed to deal with at the moment. "Oh, poor Nessa."

"Yes. I was thinking the same thing."

"Will she go back home?"

"It seems like she has no other choice. She said his health was already declining ever since he heard about Elphaba. He wasn't well when she was there during the summer and she left for school only because he insisted and said he was feeling better."

"Is there anything we can do?"

Glinda shook her head and sipped her water. "I've already asked her that. I offered to help her pack, but she insisted she'd be alright. I think Biq is with her right now, but honestly, it doesn't seem like there is something to do."

"Except for praying." Only he rarely did that. He wasn't even sure he knew how.

"Except for praying," Glinda repeated sadly. Her golden curls bounced as she shook her head and looked up at him, trying to appear cheerful. She couldn't fool him. "That's enough sadness for one day, Dearest. Tell me something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Something cheerful. Like…" her voice trailed off and she lowered her head as if thinking, and then she looked back up and asked, "What will you do after graduation?"

He burst out laughing. "Sweetheart, it's two years away!"

Glinda frowned. He was always amazed how she could do that but still look graceful. "I know. But it's good to have plans beforehand. It's our future. And knowing you, you probably already know what you want to do."

He smiled. "Well, I do know. Sort of."

She squealed triumphantly. "I knew it!"

"I want to go to the Emerald City and join the Gale Force."

Glinda went pale. She glanced at him, as if trying to decide whether or not he was fooling her. Well, he wasn't fooling her. That was his decision, and she was the first to know about it. "Why?" she whispered.

"It's true that they go against everything I've ever believed in," he said seriously. "But I can't forget what you told me, about the day Elphaba was gone," he added quietly. This was not meant for strangers' ears. "So I was thinking that if I could join the Gale Force, at least we'd know Elphaba was protected. I could get to her before the Wizard's men, and… I don't know, warn her or something. But at least we could keep her safe."

Her eyes were glistening. Ugh, he didn't mean to make her cry. "That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard," she said, taking the handkerchief he handed her and gently wiping her eyes. "I can't believe you'll do that for me."

"I'll do it for all of us," he said vaguely. The last thing he wanted was for her to suspect his motives.

She smiled. "You sure did a lot of thinking lately, didn't you?"

Oh boy, did he ever. "Yes, yes I did." He returned her smile, took her hand and kissed it. "What about you, Sweetheart? What do you want to do after graduation?"

"I want to check that offer the Wizard had for me," Glinda replied. "I'm not stupid. I know he probably had his own motives in giving me that opportunity. But it might be a good position, and it's a great honor, especially for a girl my age. Besides… like you said, I'll be able to supervise the searching, check on the Wizard's doing more closely."

He hesitated. It seemed like a good time to bring up what was on his mind, but wasn't it too soon? They had been together for over a year, and it was definitely the longest he had ever lasted with anyone. He knew his parents would have expected him to pick up on the issue. If he told them about Glinda during the summer, they probably assumed it was serious. Not serious enough to propose, Oz forbid, just… maybe hint that this was part of his plans for after graduation. "Maybe…" he started, looking at her. "Maybe we could go there together."

"Go where?"

"To the Emerald City. After graduation."

"Oh?"

She acted as if she didn't follow, but she wouldn't fool him. He knew she knew just what he was trying to say. It was a girls' thing. Ugh. "I know it's too soon to bring it up," he said, "but I think… I think I might want to marry you someday."

"You… you think?" she echoed in a tiny voice.

"I mean I know. I mean…" his voice trailed off. He felt like kicking himself. So far, it didn't sound very convincing. "Please don't make it harder than it's already is," he pleaded.

She laughed and shook her head. "Dearest, is this a marriage proposal? Because if it is, it's not a very good one."

Like he couldn't figure _that_ out himself. "This is not a marriage proposal. Well it is, but it's not."

"Well, I must say this is all very confusifying," Glinda said. "You said you wanted to marry me, and now you're saying-"

"It's not that I don't want to marry you. It's just… we still have two more years until graduation. Let's just pass that before we make any plans for later, how does that sound?"

"That… sort of makes sense, I guess," said Glinda. "So what are we now? Are we engaged or something?"

"Hmm. Well, since our parents know nothing about this yet, I'd say we're secretly engaged, how's that?"

She giggled. "Secretly engaged. How awfully romantic and mysterious." She looked up at him with a gleam in her eyes. "I like that."

Well, at least some of it was going according to the plan.

"Only one thing, Dearest."

"What?"

"When time comes and you do propose, make sure to do it right, huh?"

He smiled. He wasn't expecting any less from Glinda.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: as the alerts' problem seems to be solved, here's the next chapter. Please review, and have a wonderful weekend, everyone!**

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Chapter 9**

That was it. The day had come. His graduation day. He still couldn't believe it, even though it was all around him. His friends were dressed in their finest clothes, filling the school's lawns as they stood there, like him, with their parents, after the ceremony in the main auditorium. In a few hours, they would all go their separate ways. It pinched his heart. Who would have believed it would be so painful?

"We are so very proud of you, son," his father said. His mother clutched his hand in silent agreement. She had tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, sir," he replied, somewhat distracted. He was looking for Glinda. She disappeared right after the ceremony to join her parents, and as she was so petite, he couldn't locate her among the great crowd.

"At the top of your class, no less. Who would have thought," his father shook his head, laughing to himself.

He was about to respond when he suddenly detected a flash of gold. Glinda was standing a short distance away with some of her friends. The sunshine did wonders to her hair as she threw her head back to laugh at something one of her friends had just said. He smiled. She looked so graceful in her bright pink dress. He excused himself and went over to her.

The girls stopped their chatter when they noticed him. He bowed slightly, which made some of them blush and giggle, and offered his arm for Glinda. "Can I steal you for a moment?"

Glinda giggled and took his arm. "Why of course, Dearest!" As he led her among the crowd, she sighed wistfully. "Can you believe it? Four years."

"I know. I've never thought I'd get to be here."

"But you did. And I'm so proud of you!" she said, then squealed. "Where are you taking me?"

"I think it's about time you'll meet my parents."

To his surprise, she halted. "Your parents?" she repeated, horror clearly reflected in her eyes. He nodded. "I cannot."

"Why in Oz not?"

"Because!" That wasn't very convincing. He gave her a look. "Look at me, Dearest," she said, looking down at her dress, "I was hoping to wear something more… well, _representative_ when I meet your parents!"

He laughed. She looked nervous. It was unusual, for someone as confident as her. "You look beautiful," he assured her. "Don't worry about it."

"You're just saying that," she said meekly, but there was something softer in her eyes now.

"No, I'm not. Come on," he said, and they resume their walking. His parents stopped their conversation the moment they stopped in front of them, and gave him a questioning look. "Father, Mother, may I introduce Glinda Upland."

It took them only a slight second to remember who she was. His father's face brightened instantly. "Glinda! It's good to finally meet you, my dear," he said, kissing her hand.

"And you, sir," Glinda replied. She still looked somewhat terrified, but slightly calmer than before.

"Fiyero said you were beautiful. I can see now he wasn't exaggerating," his mother added, making Glinda blush.

"And I understand that my son was kind enough to escort you to the Emerald City."

"Yes, sir. I'm looking forward to get back there."

"Where are your parents, dear?" his mother asked.

Glinda looked back. "I'm afraid I lost them," she smiled. "They were speaking with the headmistress when I last saw them."

"We will be happy to meet them as well. We have much to talk about, now that the two of you have graduated from college."

Oh no. He shot his father a warning look. "Father-"

"It is time to think ahead, my son!" his father said. He shook his head. His father was in a good mood. It would be useless to try to protest or argue. He watched Glinda, who was talking with his mother. He smiled. He knew his mother would love her. And his father seemed to be marveling at her as well. At least some part of his plan for the future was working just fine. He knew that the hardest part was still ahead of him, yet not so far away. Soon he would be off to the Emerald City, and then real life would begin.

XoxoxoxoX

They were off a week later. Many of their friends and family came to the station to bid them goodbye. Even Avaric was there. His parents kept it from him so it would be a surprise, and surprised he was. He couldn't believe Avaric made that long way just to see him leave. He hurried towards him to give him a hug, not really caring for his parents' or his friends' reaction.

"What in Oz are you doing here?" he asked, slowly letting go.

Avaric was smiling brightly, as if satisfied he managed to surprise him. "Did you really think I'd let you go without saying goodbye?" He looked over his shoulder, and then back at him, with that naughty sparkle in his eyes. "And I thought I deserved to meet your lovely companion for this journey."

"Oh, I see. So you didn't come all the way here to see _me_, that's what you're saying."

"Let's be realistic, Master," said Avaric, shaking his head. "If I had to choose between you and a pretty girl-"

"Yes, well, I think we all know what your choice would be," he laughed. Then he looked seriously at his friend. "I'm really glad you're here though."

Avaric smiled, but didn't reply. "So where is she, your one and only?"

He looked over to where Glinda was standing. Her parents were speaking with his parents. She looked up and their eyes met. She smiled somewhat shyly, but quickly brought her attention to the conversation.

Avaric's gaze followed his, and he let out a long marveling whistle. "_Nice_!"

"Is it really necessary to ask you to keep those comments to yourself?" he hissed, changing position so that he was now blocking Avaric from Glinda's sight, in case he'd decide to do something silly.

"Don't worry. I won't embarrass you in front of her. I'm sure you've already managed to do that by yourself." There was that sparkle of humor in his eyes. Then, at once, it changed into unusual seriousness. "I know why you're going to the Emerald City. I think you're crazy, but I know it will be impossible to talk you out of it. Just… don't try to be smarter than everyone, alright? Or braver. Don't get into unnecessary trouble. You don't know who you're dealing with there."

He laughed softly, although Avaric's clear concern touched his heart. "Avaric, I had enough of that from my father."

"Knowing you, someone probably has to repeat it in order for you to internalize it."

Which was probably true. He nodded. "I promise I won't do anything stupid."

"I hope you'll find her," Avaric added quietly. "I don't know why you're so persistent about it, especially that I've seen who Glinda is, but if finding her is what you want, I hope you'll get it. Just don't get all obsessive about it."

He laughed. Avaric knew him too well. He wanted to say more, but just then a loud screech was heard when the train came to a halt at the station, bringing about the usual hustle and bustle of passengers embarking or boarding the train.

"You'd better go," Avaric said. "Have a safe journey. Take care."

"I will. You too," he said, patting his servant's back. They exchanged one last smile before he went over to join his parents and Glinda. After another round of hugs and goodbyes they boarded the train, on their way to pursue their future in the City of Emeralds.

XoxoxoxoX

Living in the City was as incredible as he thought it would be. They stayed at one of the finest hotels, spent the mornings wandering out and the nights at the various theaters and opera houses. The Emerald City had everything to offer its inhabitants and tourists in terms of entertainment. They were there for several days, but already he was having the time of his life. After a few days there, it was so easy to forget the original reason for their being there.

But then one afternoon on their way back to the hotel, he remembered.

"A letter for you, Miss," a bored receptionist handed a bright green envelope to Glinda, who took it with a nod of gratitude.

"Who is this from?" he asked as they made their way up to their rooms.

She broke the seal and read the small note the envelope contained. It took her a moment, but then she looked up at him, somewhat pale. "It's the summons from the Wizard."

His heart began to pound against his chest, faster than usual. "When?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"I'll go with you."

She shook her head. "Dearest, I don't think-"

"It's dangerous. I won't let you go alone. Not after the last time."

"They won't let you in."

"I'll wait outside. I don't care. I just don't want you to go there alone."

She hesitated, but then nodded her agreement. By the look on her face, she didn't seem too thrilled to go there alone as well. He knew she was still traumatized about what happened there years ago.

"Scared?" he asked quietly as he opened the door to her room.

"A little," she admitted.

He wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, as if she was a child. "Don't be. I'll be there. Everything will be alright."

"I hope so," she replied, although she didn't sound so confident.

This fearful, doubtful Glinda made him upset; she even frightened him, to some extent. More than anything, he wanted to comfort her. He wanted her to smile again. He pulled away and leaned over to lay a kiss on her forehead. "Go in. Take a nap, or a bath. Something that will make you feel better. Then tonight I'll take you someplace."

It worked. Her expression softened as she looked up at him. "Where?"

"Someplace special. We can go out dancing."

"Dancing…" she echoed dreamily, then smiled. "That will be great." Then she did something he had never expected her to do. She stood on tiptoes and laid a small kiss on his lips. "Thank you, for being here with me," she whispered.

For a moment, he was speechless. She had never initiated any of their kisses before. He was always the one to make the first step. This audience with the Wizard had a serious effect on her. She looked terrified. He just hoped everything would work according to their plans, that nothing would go wrong, that they would finally be able to make some good in Oz.

XoxoxoxoX

Just as they suspected, the main hall was as far as he was allowed to go. He squeezed Glinda's hand, as if that would help to make her a bit more courageous, and watched her as she followed a young guard down the hall. He didn't leave until she had completely disappeared of his sight. He wondered what he should do. He didn't want to stay there, because he figured that spending the next hours under the suspicious eye of the guards would be extremely tiring within a short while. But then again, he didn't want to go too far, because he wanted to be there when Glinda would go out.

He decided to go outside and have some coffee in the closest café he could find. He chose the guard who seemed less threatening and asked him for directions, then told him to bring Glinda there when she was done. After he ordered coffee and a delicious-looking cake from a smiling waitress, he sat back and reached for the piece of paper in his pocket. He got it a few days back, but only had a chance to skim over it. Now, as he had no newspaper, and several hours until Glinda would be back, he decided to do a more thorough reading of it.

_Dear Master,_

_As I'm picturing you in the city that never sleeps, I'm telling myself that it is probably useless to write to you. In my mind's eye you fit there so well, you're probably too occupied to even read this._

_I hope this letter finds you well and careless. I dare not express the question that is really in my interest, but I hope you'll be able to recognize it between those lines, and provide me with a satisfactory reply. I truly hope you follow your promise and keep out of danger. If not for your own sake, do it for your parents'._

_I don't wish to detain you from your other engagements. My regards to the lovely Glinda, and all the best to both of you. Write to me when you get the chance. I'll be happy to hear from you._

_Your faithful friend and servant,_

_Avaric._

He smiled. So typically Avaric, being so secretive and enigmatic. He'd have to write to him soon. He folded the letter and put it back in his pocket, then watched the passersby, slowly sipping his coffee. His gaze wandered to the other side of the street, where the guards were just changing shifts in front of the palace's main gates. He looked at them, tall and proud in their emerald-colored uniform. He had to start working out his plan. Maybe later he'd ask to see their captain. That would be a good place to start.

He sighed. He only wished it would bring him someplace. He wasn't expecting to find her. Of course, he _wanted_ to find her, but it's been so many years that he knew it would be silly to expect to find her. He was certain that the Wizard's soldiers knew better than anyone about the happenings in the Land of Oz. They probably had all the necessary intelligence. If only he could hear something, anything, about her, it would be better than nothing. He was tired of uncertainties. He just wanted to know.

XoxoxoxoX

When Glinda joined him several hours later, there was no trace for the fright that he previously detected in her expression. Her face was bright with the biggest smile, her composure once again confident. It was like a whole new Glinda had come out of the Wizard's throne.

"So, how did it go?" he asked, although it was quite obvious it went quite well.

Indeed, Glinda shook her head. "Better than I expected," she replied cheerfully. "And the Wizard! He's so changed!"

Honestly, he doubted people could change sides so quickly. Perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps it wasn't so for the Wizard. "Is he?"

"I thought it was unbelievable too, but he was really nice! He's really lonely. He wants me to work with him. He wants me to be known as," she paused for dramatic effect, "Glinda the Good."

"That's… nice. Catchy," he said slowly, mostly because he wasn't sure how he was expected to react. "What will you have to do?"

"Public relations, basically. Rising up the people's spirits. All those things I'm naturally good at!" she concluded, her eyes shinning.

Should he congratulate her? Should he feel silly for still suspecting the Wizard's motives? "What about Morrible? Wasn't it her job as his press secretary?"

"Oh, yes. It still is. I'll start as her protégé, until I'm ready for my own coronation."

"Well, that sounds really…" corrupted. Something still didn't feel right. And it rarely happened that his instincts misled him.

"We also spoke about you," she suddenly said. "At length."

He stiffened. "About me?"

"Yes. I mentioned you were here with me, and they started asking me so many questions! And are you ready for the bestest news?" she paused again, then announced, "The Wizard wants to meet you!"

He said nothing for a moment. He wasn't sure how he felt about this turn in the conversation. "Well, I won't sit and wait until he summons me. I've already decided to go back there and speak to-"

"Oh, no, Dearest, you don't understand! He wants to see you… _right now_!" He stared at her dumbfounded. She giggled. "I knew you'd be surprised!" she squealed, looking very pleased with herself. "Hurry up, they're waiting for you!"

He got up, still somewhat uncertain. "What about you?"

"Oh, I still have some shopping to do," she replied with a wave of her hand, "Go! Don't keep His Ozness waiting!"

Saying nothing, he left, heading back for the palace. As if the guards had already gotten the order, no-one prevented him from walking in. One of them quickly joined him on his way down what seemed like a long hall. Making the same way Glinda had made several hours ago, he was on his way to meet the Wizard of Oz.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: so I was wondering, how effective would it be to update two days in a row? and then I thought how much you'd appreciate it, I've decided to do this anyway since this chapter was done anyway. so happy reading everyone! review if you love me!**

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Chapter 10**

The throne room was deserted when he stepped in. The guard led him to the door and then walked back on his tracks. He wasn't allowed to go in, he said. Ah well. He'd better do this alone anyway. The sound of his steps echoed as he walked into the enormous room. The throne with the legendary head was right in the middle of the room, but it seemed as if no-one was there to operate it.

He was all alone.

"Hello?" he called. His own voice echoed back in the emptiness of the room.

There was a loud crushing noise, as if someone had just dropped something (or various of things, by the sound of it), and then a little man walked out of a side-room. "Can I help you?"

He just stared for a moment, unsure of how he should react to his sight. Was _that_ the Wizard? That small, old, nearly-bald man? Was he expected to bow? What if he _would_ bow and it turned out that wasn't the Wizard? "I'm Fiyero Tiggular," he said, thinking that starting by introducing himself would be best.

The man's features brightened. "Oh! You're the one Glinda had spoken of so warmly!"

"His Ozness?" he asked, still unsure this was the man.

"The one and only!" he replied, stretching out his hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Master Tiggular."

As it was not mutual, he thought silence would be an appropriate reply. They shook hands. His mind was racing. He looked so harmless, but he knew that looks could deceive. And he didn't doubt Elphaba knew what she was doing when she denied him. He felt threatened for a slight moment before he remembered what he had already known. That man had no real power. He needed others' help for that. By himself, he was nothing. There was no reason to be afraid.

"I'm afraid my press-secretary had some urgent meetings she wasn't able to postpone, so she won't join us," said the Wizard, leading him to a side-room. It looked like his father's library, only much smaller. There was a desk in the middle of it, and the Wizard took a seat behind it and motioned for him to sit on the armchair facing him. "Miss Glinda was telling us you expressed your will to join the Gale Force," he began.

He wasted no time. He went straight to the point, in a very business-like manner. Well, it might be for the best; just get it over with and start doing what he came for. "Yes, sir."

"And why is that, young man? What is it in them that you find so appealing?"

"Well, sir, I think I might be able to help them to find something that they have lost several years back, and weren't able to retrieve."

The Wizard looked intrigued. "Oh? What is that?"

"The Wicked Witch of the West." Heart pounding, expression sealed, he waited for the older man's reply.

There was the slightest shift in the Wizard's expression. He leaned a bit forward. Now he seemed interested. "It is true that the main mission of the Force for the past four years or so is recapturing the Witch. What makes you think you'll be the one who will manage to do so?"

"Trust me, sir. Letting people down is something I don't do quite often."

There was a moment of silence, in which he was waiting for the Wizard's reply. The old man seemed to consider it. Then after a few moments, he looked up at him. "You seem like an honest young man, Fiyero. And Glinda had recommended on you so highly, I think it will be only fair to give you a chance."

_Yes_! "Thank you, sir. You won't regret it."

"After all," added the Wizard, winking, "I think everyone deserves a chance to fly."

That was it. He had finally made up his mind. He despised this man, who thought he could manipulate everyone and everything. However, if he wanted to help Elphaba, he had to play along. He masked his scorn with a bright, ambitious smile. "When can I start?"

"As soon as possible. There is no time to lose. We have already lost four years searching for her. That's a lot of time, and money. Be here tomorrow morning, I'll make sure that the Captain of the Guards will be ready for you." The Wizard got up. Getting the hint, he got up as well and they shook hands once again. "You're doing the right thing, young man," the Wizard said, giving him a small, detestable smile. "You're joining the good side."

XoxoxoxoX

It didn't take much for him to prove himself. Several months into the job, and he was already the first in line to replace the Captain of the Guards at his retirement in several months' time. After a period of intensive training, he was allowed to go out for the actual searching. There was a special unit in charge for it, and soon he got a full responsibility of it, as the Captain of the Guards was occupied with some internal matters that required his full attention.

So he commanded on the searching. As far as he was concerned, it was the highest he could possibly go. It made Glinda insanely worried, knowing he was out there, daily risking his life, but she had her own responsibilities in the palace to worry about. He knew she realized his motives, his determination. He had to get to Elphaba before the others. If one thing was clear to both of them, that was it. Not much was known about Elphaba's current hiding place, but the searching zones varied according to fragments of information they got from the villages that surrounded the Emerald City.

The closest he worked with the Wizard, the more he came to hate the man. He was so desperate to keep Oz under his control, and he stopped at nothing to maintain this control. Whenever he caught sight of the Winged Monkeys, as they were now called, an involuntary chill went through him. He always had to tell himself over and over again this was Elphaba's doing. Glinda's words remained loud and clear. _She thought she was helping them_… Could she really do this? Did she really possess such power?

He sighed. The citizens of Oz didn't really care whether or not she possessed such power. In fact, it was this power of hers they feared most of all. Wicked, they called her now. The Wicked Witch of the West. That was even catchier than the name offered to Glinda, he thought bitterly. But what was a name? How could they believe those silly rumors so blindly? Obviously, because no-one had suggested an alternative belief, he rationalized. It was the easiest, the most convenient thing, to stick to what they were told. She was green-skinned, she mutilated a bunch of monkeys, she was wicked and dangerous.

And it was his job to capture her and bring the peace and quiet back to Oz.

"Are we ready?" he asked one of the soldiers.

"As ready as we'd ever be, sir," the young soldier replied.

"Alright. Tell everyone we'll meet for a short briefing in the conference room in ten minutes."

"Yes, sir." The soldier saluted and disappeared down the hall.

He grabbed some maps and headed for the conference room, feeling more confident than he felt in a very long time. They had gotten some new information the other night, about Elphaba's possible location. Of course, many of those fragments of information often led them towards hundreds of dead-ends in the months that passed since he became the Captain of the searching unit. He hoped that wasn't to be the case this time.

Right after the briefing and before they'd leave to begin the searching, he stopped at Glinda's rooms. Her coronation was due that day at noon, and whereas she was sorry he wouldn't be able to be there with her, she seemed to understand the importance of the mission he had taken over himself. He was glad to realize that she had matured to some extent; she could have made a scene, like that far-away day at Shiz, but she didn't. She accepted his stately obligations as solemnly and as seriously as one would have expect her, a public figure, to do.

Some of her new maids were fussing around her as he knocked lightly on the door before letting himself in. She was dressed in a marvelous new gown of silvery lavender. Her hair was done, curling softly down her shoulders. Her cheeks were flushed, probably from excitement and all this fussing around her. It made her look glamorous, radiant, breath-taking, in a way he had never seen her before.

Her maids stepped back when he entered, and then ran out of the room blushing. Their soft giggle echoed down the hall along with their steps. Once they were alone, he approached Glinda, took her hand in his and kissed the back of it.

"You look absolutely beautiful," he said, meaning every word.

Slight blush rose in her cheeks. She smiled. "Thank you, Dearest. I wasn't expecting to see you this morning."

"We're leaving soon. I just really needed to see a friendly face," he admitted. The burden of the mission he had taken over himself suddenly felt heavier than ever before. There was so much pressure. Everyone had the highest expectations from him; his men, Glinda, the Wizard. He couldn't possibly let them down.

She looked up at him pleadingly. "Be careful out there, will you?"

"Of course. Don't worry. Hopefully, we'll be back in time for the ball, so save me a dance or two." He said it casually because he didn't want to pass some of his nervousness to her. She had enough on her mind as it was. He must think positive. Everything would be alright. "This is your day, Sweetheart. Enjoy it. I'm sorry I can't be here to enjoy it along with you."

"I know. I'm sorry too. Go, do what you have to do, and I'll see you in the evening."

He nodded, and was about to leave the room, but then changed his mind and wrapped his arms around her. They stood there for one silent moment, just holding one another, before he left and headed out to meet his men.

XoxoxoxoX

They rode most of the morning, out of the Emerald City and into the forest. It was a beautiful day, and perfect weather for riding. The light breeze was almost distracting. He had to remind himself it wasn't riding for his own pleasure. They were in a mission. This time, they were going to find her. _He_ was going to find her.

They stopped for lunch and a short rest, settling at a clearing they found in the depth of the forest. He leaned over the map to check on their progress. Of course, he could ask one of the newest soldiers to do that, or the qualified navigator he always took along for such journeys, but he decided he'd rather trust no-one. Not when it was Elphaba's life at stake.

"How does it look, sir?" asked Nob, one of his most trustworthy men.

"We seem to be making a good progress," he said. "We should be there in a short while." He pointed at a marked spot on the map. "The cave should be around this area. We shouldn't expect to find it so easily. The trees grow thick there."

"How could anyone live there," Nob half said, half asked, his voice contemplated.

"Easily, I guess. There's a constant water supply, the pond is really close by, and there's fruit from the trees. You can survive for days."

"Yes, days, and then what?"

"You'd be surprised for how long you can survive. If anything, it's boredom and loneliness that will eventually kill you."

An incredible noise from above them made them raise their heads with a start. A huge flock of ravens had just flown from the surrounding treetops into the sky, a mixture of rustle of wings and a hoarse cackle carried into the air. He looked up with a worried brow. Something must have happened to disturb them, or they wouldn't have to flee so abruptly, so noisily. It was as if they were afraid of something… of someone.

Before he could complete this thought, two of his men came rushing over to him, red-faced and breathless. "Sir!"

He stepped forward, pulling off his more authoritative expression. His heart was pounding with no apparent reason. He was almost afraid to ask what was expected from him. "What is it?"

"We were with the horses by the river, just as you ordered us," said one of them.

"Then we heard a noise, and looked up," the other added, pointing to a cliff that overlooked the river bank. "Someone was watching us."

He fought to maintain his expression as neutral as possible. "Someone?"

"_Her_!" the first soldier whispered fiercely. The other soldiers, who gathered around as soon as the commotion began, gasped as they heard that single word.

"How do you know it was her?" he asked quickly, not meaning to give way to their evil talking. He had enough of it on their way. His gaze wandered towards the cliff again. The sun was in the middle of the sky, right above the cliff. It would harden on anyone's sight.

As if knowing that thought was on his mind, the second soldier shook his head. "She mounted her broom when she realized we noticed her."

"Disappeared within seconds," the other one said, as if to confirm his friend's words.

"We have to move," he said, already moving forward to pack the maps. His men all seemed startled by his abrupt movement, but as if they sensed the urgency within him, they hurried to do the same.

Soon they were on their way again. Closer than ever. Or so it felt.

XoxoxoxoX

It seemed like the thickest spot in the entire forest. They were told it would be like that, but he had never thought this would be what he'd find there. He took back his previous words. No-one could possibly live there.

He looked around once more, then turned to his men, who were waiting for his orders. "We'll go in pairs. Nob, you're with me. The rest, never leave one another's sight. It's easy to get lost here, and it will be very unpleasant if I'd have to face His Ozness and tell him we had to leave some of you behind." Everyone nodded, looking grim. "Any questions?"

One of the soldiers raised his hand. "If we find anything, what do we do?"

"We don't know if she's around, so it would be best if you don't make much noise so we won't scare her off," he said. "If it looks safe, send one of you to get me. I won't be far behind." Murmurs of agreement passed among them. "Any other questions?" He looked at his men. No-one spoke. "Alright. Let's do what we came to do."

He watched them as each pair disappeared in a different edge of the forest. When they all went out of his sight, he locked his gaze with Nob, and motioned him to follow. The spot he chose for them was supposed to be the closest to the location given to them by the hunters. He hoped that was truly the case.

It was when they went deeper into the forest that he began to regret spreading his people all over the place. It would be impossible to find them if anyone got in trouble. But on the other hand, it seemed like the most logical strategy. They would have gotten nowhere if they stuck together.

A rustle made him turn back, heart racing. Just the wind, he told himself, walking forward. He wondered if his long waiting was finally over, if that was the day he'd see her again. And if that was to be the case, then what? Would he really be able to defend her from the people's rage? From the Wizard's desire for revenge? What if he wouldn't?

No. He couldn't do this. He couldn't afford doubts and insecurities now. He had to remain focused. He would find her. If not today, then-

"Sir!" The hiss pierced the silence of the forest. Looking over his shoulder, he saw one of his men running over to him. He didn't have a chance to ask further. The soldier pointed into the trees, saying, "Over there."

The three hurried along. When they got there, most of the men had gathered around already. The one who came to get them pointed towards a huge rock among the trees. He looked at it closely. The large crack in the middle of it surely looked like an opening of a cave.

"Find someplace to hide, but stay where I can find you. I'm going in," he said.

The men exchanged frantic looks. Nob stepped forward. "With all due respect, sir, you can't go in there alone. It might be dangerous."

He watched his men as they all nodded their agreement. He hesitated. He knew there was no way he could help Elphaba if any of them would join him. On the other hand, as far as they saw it, walking in there alone was strategically wrong. "Alright. Nob, you can wait outside, in case something will go wrong. Everyone, be ready in case we'll need your help. Now go."

Just as before, he waited until his men disappeared from his sight, before he went in the other direction. He motioned to Nob to remain behind some high bushes, right by the entry of the cave. Nob looked hesitant, but then did as he was told.

He walked in. It _was_ a cave alright, and it looked huge from the inside. The rustle of the wind and trees was almost inaudible as he made his way deeper into the cave. So far, there was not a sign of living, but he figured that if she did live there, she would be wiser than remaining where someone could easily find her. So he walked on.

The further he went, the colder it got in there. He embraced himself, trying to get warm. He expected it to get darker as he went on, but it didn't. Instead, there was this constant flicker, and it seemed to grow stronger as he went further in. It also got somewhat warmer.

And then, within an instance, he could see why.

It seemed to be as far as he could go. It was probably way underground, or into the surrounding cliffs; he couldn't quite recreate the topography of the forest outside. It looked like a room, carved into the stone. There was a bonfire in the middle of it, spreading the light and heat he had seen and felt on his way, but there was something strange about its flames; almost unnatural. He knelt by it, reached out his hand and stuck it in the middle of the whispering flames.

Just as he thought. It was charmed. It was so cold in there; she probably had to make it to keep warm.

He stood up, taking in his surroundings. It looked comfortable, in a strange sort of way. There was a shabby cot at one corner, and leftovers of some fruit at another. Someone had definitely lived there. But was it her?

There was only one way to find out.

"_Elphaba_!"


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: the only reason for this amazingly quick update is my second fanfiction anniversary… today! Yay! Reviews **_**will**_** be considered as presents! **

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Chapter 11**

His voice echoed in the small stone-room. He waited for the echo to cease before he took another look around. Whoever lived there was in a hurry to leave, it seemed. Some books were missing from a side-shelf, as if those were too important to be left behind, not to mention the fire no-one bothered to put off. Then something caught his sight and he hurried towards it and grabbed it. His heart was pounding now, more with excitement than with fear. It was a black cloak. True, it was a men's cloak, the kind his father used to wear to a visit at the opera house, but he figured she probably found it someplace. Not that she could afford being picky with her clothes, anyway.

"Elphaba?" Slight hesitance sneaked into his voice. What if he was building up this ridiculous scenario just because he was so desperate to find her? If could be a homeless vagabond finding a shelter there. Someone who had left to get himself something to eat, perhaps; someone who would not like the fact that a stranger was invading his private space the way he just did. But as much as it was possible, it didn't make much sense. The bonfire was enchanted. No vagabond could possibly do-

From somewhere behind him, a soft rustle was heard. He turned at once, but there was nothing there. "Elphaba?" he tried again. There was a slight shake to his voice now. He was beginning to feel really scared, in spite of himself. The name echoed again, as if mocking him. "Elphaba, it's alright, it's just me. Come on, step out. I'm not going to hurt you!" He could never hurt her… Didn't she know he could never hurt her? Didn't she know that he lo-

That soft rustle again, but this time its source revealed itself. A small mouse was making its way towards the remainders of fruit. He stared at it for a moment before he dropped, defeated, to the ground, letting out a loud, nasty curse. There was no use. She wasn't there. He lost her once again. Only this time it was more frustrating because she seemed so close. He almost got her.

Only he didn't.

Something felt damp against the skin of his face. Slightly confused, but mostly indifferent, he reached out to touch his cheek.

Only then it dawned on him.

He was crying.

XoxoxoxoX

They got back just in time for the ball, just as he had promised Glinda, but the last thing he felt like doing was dancing. The music stopped when he entered the ballroom with his men, and then at once it resumed as the orchestra played a cheerful victory tune. All around him, people were cheering. They had found the hiding place of the Wicked Witch of the West. It was a victory for them; a minor one, but a victory nonetheless. Finding Glinda among them, he could see that her own feelings were far from theirs. Her expression was similar to his own; distant and grim. Another search, and they didn't have her.

Not really caring for whether or not it was proper, he wrapped his arms around Glinda the moment he got to her. He laid his chin against the top of her head, drawing comfort of her presence.

"It didn't go so well, I was told," she said softly.

Slowly, he pulled away from their embrace. He nodded sadly. "We were so close this time."

"You mustn't blame yourself, Dearest."

He looked down at her. He felt so drained. "Whom should I blame, then?"

"No-one. Don't you see? You let it affect you so much, but you can't do that. You mustn't. It will only cloud your sense of judgment."

He frowned, but couldn't hide his smile. "When did you become such an expert in military strategies?"

She laughed softly. "It's not that different than stately, internal affairs. I'm doing it all the time."

"And it works?"

"I'm working on it, and that what matters." She reached over and ran a hand along his cheek. "Why don't you go to your room? You look like you could use a rest."

Oz, he definitely needed a rest. And a bath. But he didn't forget his promise. "What about the dance you saved for me?"

Glinda smiled, as if she didn't forget it either. "I don't really feel like dancing. I can see that you don't, too. We'll have plenty other opportunities. Go along, I'll make an excuse for you."

"I love you." It just rolled, unintentionally, on his tongue. Then when he realized what he had just said, he looked up at her, sort of terrified. He didn't mean it. Or did he? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of anything at the moment.

Glinda seemed somewhat taken-aback, as if she wasn't expecting to hear that. She blushed slightly, then smiled. "I love you too. I'll see you in the morning."

He nodded, distracted, and slipped out the ballroom before anyone would attempt to congratulate him on his victory.

XoxoxoxoX

Feeling much better, but just as frustrated, after his bath, he crawled into bed. He was so grateful for Glinda for sending him off. He really wasn't expecting her to do that. Now he thought that maybe he was underestimating her devotion. That thought was definitely not an improvement to his already grim mood.

He laid back, his head sinking into the pillows. He pulled the covers up to his chin, reveling at their softness. Thoughts of what happened hours ago inevitably rushed in. He didn't know how he managed to regain his composure and leave the cave, he didn't remember what he told his men, he didn't even remember how they got back the Emerald City. He figured that Nob somehow took care of everything, because he was in complete daze, still somewhat struck by his own breakdown.

What was _that_ all about? Yes, he was desperate to find her. He took it over himself years ago, when he first learned that she was in trouble. But it was something he wanted to do for her own safety, for Glinda's sake, for Nessarose, not out of selfish motives. Only that breakdown of his surely implied otherwise. Was he unconsciously doing it for himself, to satisfy some personal whim of his he wasn't aware of? But that didn't make much sense, either. Why would _he_ want to find Elphaba?

_It seems to me… that you start having feelings for the green girl._

It happened years ago, and still the words seemed to revive the memory. But he was all over it by now, wasn't he? He managed to forget her, the hint of unknown feeling that was there at first but ceased with time. Even the dreams were gone; that clearly meant something. But then again, there was this desperation that wouldn't let him go. He truly believed he'd see her again today, and now he was so disappointed when he didn't; probably more disappointed than he was supposed to.

Oz, what if it didn't cease with time? What if those unknown feelings were still there, only in hiding, waiting for the right opportunity to surface again? What if they were impossible to bury or repress? What if…

What if they could only intensify?

He was asleep before he could find a proper answer to his inquiry.

XoxoxoxoX

He could feel it, as if coming from a great distance. The sensation was familiar, almost teasing in its essence. He dismissed it. He just wanted to sleep, sleep and get this day over with. He surely didn't need that kind of sensation to distract him, to keep him awake again. He snuggled deeper into the covers, hoping it would just go away.

It didn't.

Reluctantly, knowing what he was about to find, he opened his eyes. There she was, saying nothing, just looking up at him with that irresistible gleam in her eyes, her hair loose and tickling his chest, a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips.

She was back.

Against his better judgment, he touched her cheek, bringing her face closer to his for a kiss. He kissed her slowly, tenderly, savoring the feeling of it. He didn't try to deepen the kiss or anything; he just wanted to remember how it felt, why he yearned for it so. And pretty soon, he did. It was amazing, more amazing than ever before. It made him feel dizzy and light-headed, all at the same time, and yet he couldn't let her go. It was his need to regain his breath that forced him to break the kiss eventually. His hand remained against her cheek, caressing her with the tips of his fingers, as he looked into her eyes.

"You came back," he whispered, almost as if he was unwilling to believe it.

She shook her head. "I've never left."

His hand was slowly drifting. She closed her eyes as he ran his hands across her face, through her hair, along the material of her black negligee, that garment he came to know so well by now. "Take it off," he pleaded.

She shook her head no. She'd done that before, when he was more aggressive, ridden by desire. Now he was anything but aggressive. It was different now. He didn't know how; somehow, it just was. And he was determined to make her realize it.

"Please, I don't want to hurt you. I'll never hurt you. I love you," he stopped for a moment, unsure where in Oz that came from. Not for a second he thought he should take it back. That was it; the truth he was looking for, the ultimate answer to all of his wonderings. He sighed when this realization hit him. "Sweet Oz, Elphaba, I love you so much."

He didn't know how, but when his gaze locked with hers again, somehow she already knew. There was this spark of satisfaction in her eyes. "I knew you'd figure it out eventually," she whispered seductively, leaning down to kiss him once more.

He moaned into the kiss. He couldn't hold back. He didn't want to. Everything was so clear now. He loved her. And he could deny it no longer. He kissed her more fiercely, his need for her growing stronger. He had to have her.

Not breaking the kiss, he slipped his hands down to her waist, trying to rip off the black satin once more.

She pulled away from their kiss. Her abrupt movement startled him, catching him completely off-guard. He stared at her, panting, as she shook her head once more.

"Why?" he whispered breathlessly, now somewhat hurt by her refusal.

She smiled. He had never noticed how sweet her smile was. "Because… you'll have to find me first."

He woke up with a start, crying out her name. It took a moment to make out his surroundings, to realize it was yet another dream. When he did, he sat up, letting out a desperate sigh. He leaned back against the pillows, breathing slowly, deeply, trying to stabilize his shaky breath.

So that was it. The thing he was running from. And now when he finally faced it, he couldn't believe how it managed to remain repressed all this time. It didn't feel as if it was something he'd be able to hide. Sweet Oz, he loved her. All this time, he loved her. And he wasted so much time already on not telling her that, so much time on searching in the wrong places. He looked everywhere, it felt; everywhere but in his own heart. He loved her. He just did.

What in Oz he was going to do? He loved Elphaba, and he was practically engaged to her best friend. There was no way he could break his engagement to Glinda, not after all these years. And to make things even worse, he had just been brainless enough to tell her he loved her that evening.

He knew what the wisest step should be. He must forget her. He must carry on as if nothing happened. He would break Glinda's heart if he'd act otherwise.

But what about his own heart?

And then he remembered that this new realization had actually led him nowhere; rather, it made everything even more complicated. So he loved her. So what? He didn't have her. There was no way he would ever have her. They weren't able to find her that afternoon, and he doubted they'd ever be able to find her some other time. Knowing that only increased his misery. No, he thought, he didn't feel better now that the great truth revealed itself to him. He actually felt worse. He loved Elphaba, but she was out of his reach. For good. He'd better just forget about her.

He snorted. Like _that_ was going to be easy. He had already known from before how impossible it would be to get her out of his mind. But this time, he had to. If anything, he wouldn't risk Glinda's getting hurt. He knew she was still carrying the guilt for Elphaba's flee on her conscience. And she cared for him so much, he could feel that she did, there was no way he could desert her like. No, he'd just have to… live a lie for a while. At least until he'd get used to the idea that Elphaba was gone. That she would never be his. No matter how much he wanted it, they did not deserve each other.

_You'll have to find me first_, her whisper echoed in the silence of the night.

"I can't," he whispered back, as if there was the slightest chance she'd hear him. "I love you, but I can't."

He knew he'd probably be sorry forever.

But then again, he also knew he had no choice.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_Dear Avaric,_

_Please accept my apologies for not being able to write to you sooner. Things got hectic ever since I joined the Gale Force, and even more hectic now since I was officially announced the new Captain of the Guards several days ago. I know Father must be proud. I know I should be proud as well, but somehow, finally reaching the goal I set for myself in coming here is not as satisfactory as I initially thought it would be. I first came to the Emerald City meaning to do some good. Now I doubt my abilities to do anything at all. _

_I know it sounds strange. You're probably thinking how arrogant it is, to speak of lack of satisfaction in one of the highest position at the Wizard's service. I can promise you, there is no arrogance in my words. Just disappointment. I'm not even sure this disappointment is directed at myself. I'm not sure of anything._

_As you can probably tell, I've had better days. I could use a friend, but none of my men are trustworthy enough. Well, except for Nob, perhaps, but you can never know who your friends are nowadays. Something is happening to me, Avaric. Something I can tell no-one about. Not even myself. I can almost see you wrinkle your forehead, thinking I'm crazy, and perhaps I am. I feel this constant emptiness. I have everything, and yet I have nothing._

_As for Glinda, she is well. As you all probably heard, she was decreed Glinda the Good several weeks ago. She is more beautiful, more graceful, more social than ever. Thanks to her new position (and now, thanks to mine) we reside at the Wizard's palace, which is more incredible than any word could say._

_I wish you were here. We could have a great time in the City._

_My regards to your mother and my parents. Please keep writing. It's the only thing that keeps me away from depression these days._

_Yours, Fiyero._

XoxoxoxoX

He sent his letter on the way to the City's square, where the celebrations took place. No reason seemed to be necessary for celebration these days. It seemed to be Glinda's way to raise the spirits of the citizens. More balls, more parties. It was springtime, so even the weather cooperated with Her Goodness' plans.

She was pacing back and forth when he arrived, apparently just about to go and deliver her speech. Madame Morrible stood close-by, as if watching her. Then Glinda noticed him and her face brightened as he caught up with her. "There you are, Dearest! We were waiting for you!"

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, acknowledging Madame Morrible with a polite nod. Looking directly at her always gave him chills, so he avoided any contact with her altogether.

Glinda giggled and took the arm he offered her. "That's alright, Dearest."

"We are ready to begin now," Madame Morrible ordered a young guard, who disappeared behind the stage. The cheerful music stopped at once, and a hiss went through the audience as the Madame Morrible, Glinda and himself made their way onstage.

He stole a glance at Glinda, who was raising her arms in order to silence the audience's cheers. She looked so confident, so in-place there, as if this was what she was meant to do all her life. He shook his hand at the thought. Maybe she did. "Fellow Ozians," she began, somewhat dramatically. "As terrifying as terror is, let us put aside our panic for this one day… and celebrate!"

XoxoxoxoX

He stormed offstage, somewhat agitated. He had enough. First learning about his upcoming engagement- a _surprise_ engagement of all things- in front of all these people, and then having to listen to all the nasty things they all have to say about…

He shook his head. Glinda shouldn't have done that. She should have consulted with him before she went and publicly announced their engagement. He knew what her justification would be. It would make great headlines; that was what she probably thought. But whatever happened to paying some respect to people's privacy? Whatever happened to asking someone whether or not he thought it was alright to formalize the issue of their unofficial engagement?

He sighed. And if that wasn't enough, he was expected to stand there and listen to Horrible Morrible as she recounted the day of Glinda's coronation. And Glinda just stood there and smiled; not for a moment did she try to tell her own version, the _real_ version, of what happened there that day. She told him about it the day after her coronation, but he was so deep in desperation from his latest revelation, that her words just passed near his ears, unheard. And still, he knew it couldn't have happened that way. He knew it was probably another opportunity for getting great headlines.

Just as he expected, the story soon enhanced the appearance of the myths, the rumors, the speculations. He could not believe how cruel people could be until he heard them. People seemed to be nourishing out of gossip these days. The things he heard were frightening, most of them utterly foolish. What was the most frightening about it was that people actually believed in it! She had an extra eye… She was able to shed her skin… Water could melt her… It got more ridiculous each day, and he was tired of listening to it. People were so empty-headed, they'd believe anything!

"Dearest?" He turned, startled, at the sound of Glinda's voice. She gave him a concerned look. "Is everything alright?"

"No, everything is _not_ alright!" he blurted out, suddenly extremely frustrated. He sighed, then put his hand on her back, guiding her to a place where they could talk privately. If that was a term anyone still knew. "I can't just stand there grinning, pretending to go along with all this!"

Glinda shook her head, as if she knew he was about to say that. "Do you think I like to hear them say those awful things about her? I hate it!"

"Then what are we doing here? Let's go, let's get out of here!" It felt as if the urgency to be elsewhere was never as strong.

Glinda, however, seemed to think otherwise. "We can't just leave, not when people are looking to us to raise their spirits!"

Never in his life did he feel such scorn to her. Why wouldn't she just admit it? "_You_ can't leave because you can't resist this. And _that_ is the truth."

Glinda shrugged. "Maybe I can't," she stated simply. "Is that so wrong? Who could?"

"You know who could! And who has!" He was practically yelling at her now. He shook his head. He didn't mean to raise his voice on her, but he couldn't keep it in any longer.

Indeed, Glinda seemed somewhat hurt by his outburst, for she was silent for a moment. Then her expression softened, and she said, seriously yet very gently, "Fiyero, I miss her too. But we can't just stop living. No-one has searched harder for her than you. But don't you see? She doesn't want to be found. We have to face it."

As sad as it was, he knew it was true. Besides, he vowed to forget her, to forget his feelings for her, no matter what. He was determined to keep that decision; if anything, he had to do so just for this reason. She didn't want to be found. It was probably the most painful decision he had to make in his life. He nodded slowly. "You're right," he said, wrapping his arms around Glinda, planting a small kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry, you're right." Her sigh of relief didn't escape him. And then he remembered that other thing; the other part of his decision. "And if it's going to make you happy, of course I'll marry you."

She pulled away from their embrace to look up at him. Her eyes looked huge, and remarkably blue. "But it'll make you happy too, right?" she asked hesitantly, giving him that close look, as if trying to read through him.

Ugh, he couldn't do this. He couldn't look her in the eye and lie. She didn't deserve to be deceived that way. "You know me," he said eventually, hardly looking at her. "I'm always happy." He couldn't stay there. He murmured an apology and hurried away. He could hear her calling after him, but he didn't look back.

XoxoxoxoX

It's been going on for hours. Supper had just ended, and now they were all heading for the great hall for some more dancing. He was amazed at how unrelenting they all were. They would have danced all night, it seemed, if it was up to them. He remembered times when he was just like that; dancing through life, mindless and careless. Was it that long ago? Or did he simply grow up overnight?

He danced a few dances with Glinda; he figured it would be best, as she was getting suspicious at his behavior as it was. She glanced at him every now and again, as if waiting for him to speak, perhaps confess about what was on his mind. If she only knew.

Then at some point, when the air began to get really packed, he excused himself and went out to the balcony. The night was chilly, the air was crystal clear. Out there, the sounds of the music from the ballroom were almost inaudible. He took a deep breath, then breathed out slowly, as if that would help to clear his head of stressing thoughts. He was tired of thinking.

A sudden loud screech made him look up with a start. His jaw nearly dropped to the floor at the sight of dozens- no, _hundreds_- of monkeys, flying out into the night sky. He just stared at then dumbfounded, wondering at the meaning of it. Most of the time they were imprisoned, under the Wizard's watchful eye. The only time they were released was when they were sent to their patrols. His forehead cringed in confusion. Why would he release them all of a sudden?

_That's not the way it happened there with the Monkeys… She thought she was helping them_.

The memory got out of nowhere, leaving him momentarily dizzy, with the slightest spark of hope. Driven by pure instinct, he rushed from the balcony back into the ballroom. Finding some of his men, he ordered them to follow. He then hurried out to the hall and ran as fast as he could to the Wizard's throne.

When they burst into the room, he knew that his instincts did not fail him. The throne room was in chaos. Some monkeys were still flying around, the rustle of their wings frantic, their screeching echoing in the enormous room, deafening. The Wizard was nowhere to be seen, but as the giant head was on with all its glory, he figured the despised man was probably there behind the veil, operating it. There was a figure on the floor, half covered by a large sheet, and he realized to his horror he knew it. It was Dr. Dillamond.

He didn't have time to ponder how in Oz he got there, though. There was no time to waste. Slowly he looked up to acknowledge the last person in the room. Somehow he managed to hold back a gasp when he first realized who it was. For a moment, he was paralyzed. He didn't know what to do. He spent years looking for her, and now there she was, only a small distance away. She held an old-looking broomstick in front of her in a motion of self-defense.

"Fiyero!" she gasped when their eyes met, slowly lowering her broomstick.

"I don't believe it."

"Oh, Fiyero, thank Oz. I thought you were-"

There it was, the moment he was waiting for, but the circumstances couldn't have been more unfitting. How could he save her when the Wizard and his men were there? How could he defend her from the enemy, when he was a part of it? He thought frantically, then came up with a plan. It was quite lame, he thought, but it was the best he could come up with under the circumstances. "_Silence, Witch_!" he bellowed, aiming a rifle at her.

The room was silenced within an instant. He stole a glance at her. It obviously worked. The relief that was written all over her face now transformed. She looked terrified. "Fiyero, not you too," she said almost brokenly. He had never seen anyone looking as betrayed as she did at the moment. She held on to her broom as if her life was depended on it. Well, her life probably _was_ depended on it. She could make it fly; he figured it was a useful weapon when necessary.

He sent his men off. He couldn't even remember what he told them that sent them rushing out. He waited for the sound of their steps to cease before he stole a glance at Elphaba. She looked at him hesitantly, still somewhat terrified, as if she was trying to guess his next move.

There was only one thing that was left for him to do.

He walked over to the head and dragged the Wizard from behind the veil. The old man tried to release himself from his grip, all the while shouting and protesting, but he didn't mean to let him go. He tightened his grip. "Don't make a sound, Your Ozness," he hissed warningly. Your Ozness. What a laugh. "Unless you want your guests to know the truth about the Wonderful Wizard of Oz." He loosened his grip, and the Wizard toppled forward, now sprawled in front of his throne. He looked defeated, pathetic. Just as it should be. Keeping his rifle aimed at the older man, he quickly glanced at Elphaba. She looked confused, but somewhat relieved. "Elphaba, I'll find Dillamond later, now get out of here."

She didn't move. She looked as if she wasn't expecting this. "Fiyero, you frightened me," she said quietly, sounding so scared and honest it made him feel bad he managed to fool her so well. "I thought you have… changed."

He smirked at the irony of it. "I _have_ changed."

She seemed as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't, because just then Glinda burst into the room. "What's going on?" she asked, quite oblivious to the severity of the situation. Then she noticed Elphaba and gasped. "_Elphie_!" she exclaimed, rushing forward to embrace her friend. "Thank Oz you're alive! Only you shouldn't have come. If someone discoverates you-"

He huffed impatiently. This was _not_ the time for happy reunions. "Glinda, you'd better go."

Just then she seemed to notice that he was aiming a rifle at the frightful-looking Wizard on the marble floor. She shook her head in confusion. "Fiyero, what are you-"

"Please, just go back to the ball!"

She left Elphaba's side and moved closer. "His Ozness, he means no disrespectation. Please understand. We all went to school together-"

He let out a frustrated sigh. What was she _doing_? "Elphaba-" he said, motioning her to leave again, his panic rising. The more she stayed there, the harder it would be for her to escape unnoticed.

Glinda now turned to give him an incredulous look. "Fiyero, have you misplaced your mind? What are you doing?"

He looked at her, then at Elphaba, and he suddenly knew the answer. It was never as clear. There was only one possible thing he _could_ do.

Knowing what was to come, he took a deep breath, and locked his gaze with Elphaba's. "I'm going with her."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: because it's already written and done, because the previous chapter was not **_**really**_** a cliffie as you know what's to come, and because I'm in a pretty bad mood so I'm counting on your reviews to cheer me up.**

**Check out your story alerts, you might find there something you'll like. That's all I'm gonna say about that...**

**Happy reading!**

**

* * *

Chapter 13 **

His words met astounded silence. He didn't dare to break his gaze with Elphaba. But then he forced to look away, at Glinda, who looked quite shocked.

"What?" she asked brokenly.

He said nothing, stealing another glance at Elphaba, whose expression resembled her friend's. "What?"

Glinda took a step forward, as if realization hit her. "What are you saying?" she asked, giving him a closer look. "You mean that all this time… the two of you, behind my back?" Now she was the one looking betrayed. And extremely hurt.

Elphaba shook her head fiercely. "_No_, Glinda, it wasn't like that-"

"Well, it was," he said. It just slipped. Glinda shot him a nasty glare. "Only… it wasn't," he added, wanting to kick himself. He just _had_ to add on her misery with his reckless tongue. Then he remembered they were still standing there, and the guards were expected to return in any moment. They had to flee. He hurried towards Elphaba and laid a hand against her back, urging her forward. "Elphaba, let's go. Let's go!"

XoxoxoxoX

He led her up to his rooms. He knew a secret passage that led there, and he thought they'd better take it than be seen on the main hall. None of them spoke since they left the Wizard's throne, as if they had a silent agreement that escaping was more urgent at the moment. When they reached his rooms he practically pushed her in, stealing a glance at the hallway to make sure no-one had followed them, then closed the door and locked it. A sigh of relief escaped him before he managed to hold it back. For now, they were safe.

Slowly, he turned to look at her. Now he finally had a moment to observe her more closely. He hardly remembered how beautiful she was. Over the years, her beauty seemed to intensify. Her hair grew longer, thicker; her eyes looked wiser, older. She said nothing, just watched him watching her, as she slowly took off her hat.

He walked over to her and gently took the broomstick from her hand. "Are you alright?" She nodded, looking shaken, still saying nothing. "We must get out of here. I'll just change into something less… suspicious," he said, looking down at his uniform.

He headed towards his wardrobe, but her voice made him turn back. "Fiyero?"

"Yes?"

"What in Oz has just happened there?" she asked softly, uncertainly.

He laughed. "I think I'll have to figure that out myself first."

She raised one eyebrow. "You _think_, huh?"

"I had a lot of time to do some thinking, yes."

"About?"

Abandoning his initial plan to change, he walked over to her again and wrapped his arms around her. It felt new, yet no so much unfamiliar. He could hear her sharp intake of breath, as if she wasn't expecting him to do that. "I would tell you," he whispered lowly, "but if I will, I'm quite sure we won't be able to leave this room any time soon." She blushed at the implication of it, and he was relieved to feel that she was starting to loosen up a bit in his arms. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but knowing that it would probably not end up there, he forced some reason into his head. Running a hand along her cheek, he said, "I'll be right back," and walked towards his wardrobe again.

XoxoxoxoX

She was looking through the window when he stepped back into the room, carrying a small bag with clothes for change. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to reach the kitchen for some provisions. They were probably searching for them already. He watched her for a moment. She looked bothered, but there was also this unmistakenable serenity to her composure. She looked deep in thought; he hated interrupting her. He walked over to her and laid a hand against her back, gently so it wouldn't frighten her.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"I guess so," she replied. "But go where? How?"

"Well…" he caught sight of her broomstick, now back in her hand. That wouldn't have been his first option, but it was an emergency, so he couldn't afford being picky. "How fast is this thing?"

Her gaze followed his, observing the broomstick for a moment as if she understood what was on his mind; then she looked back at him. "It's fast. It serves me well. Of course, I've never tried it with another person on board, so I wouldn't know."

"It seems to be the only way out of here, so we'd better take it," he said, leading her to another secret passage. "As for where… I guess we'll have to find that out on our way."

XoxoxoxoX

As scary as it was, he had to admit that there was something extremely liberating in riding a broomstick. They were one with the sky, with the wind, they defied gravity. It was exhilarating. He held on to her waist, doing his best not to look down, but at some point he just learned to enjoy the whole thing. There was always the risk you'd be knocked down to the ground, but that seemed to be part of the thing, the thrill of excitement.

"No wonder you managed to escape us so fast," he said once they landed in the clearing of the forest. It was the same clearing where they found her last hiding. His legs hardly carried him, but he tried not to let her see it.

"It goes even faster, when I'm alone." She glanced at him, and slowly smiled. "Are you alright? You seem a bit green."

Huh. "Not as green as you, I'm sure."

She laughed softly, wrapping her cloak more tightly around her against the night chill as they walked on. He assumed she was guiding him towards that same cave. He couldn't quite see it, given the darkness and thick vegetation, but she seemed to know her way.

Stealing another glance at her, she still looked bothered. He reached over and took her hand in his. She looked up at this sudden motion. "Still thinking about what happened there?"

To his surprise, she shook her head. "No, I was… I've just arrived from Munchkinland, where I visited Nessa."

He had lost contact with Nessarose after graduation. Maybe even before; after her father took ill, she appeared in school less in less. "How is she? And your father?"

"My father is dead. Nessa is the governor now," she said, her voice quiet, dry, neutral. He considered to offer his condolences for her father's death, but then decided against it. It didn't seem to be the main thing on her mind. And indeed, after a while, she said, somewhat hesitantly, "Something happened while I was there."

He led her towards a rock nearby, motioning her to sit. She did, and he sat on the grass next to her. "What?"

"Do you remember Boq?"

The one Glinda sat up with Nessa so that he could take her to the ball? "The Munchkin boy?"

She nodded. "That's the one. Apparently, Nessa can get quite possessive when she wants something. Of course, I knew it from our childhood, as our father spoilt her rotten, but I didn't know how worse it could become. She imprisoned Boq to keep him at her side. She enslaved the Munchkins. They call her a Witch, did you know that? The Wicked Witch of the East." He nodded sadly. He had heard the rumors. Those were hard to ignore. "Anyway, I found a spell that made her walk. I thought she'd use it wisely, to be independent. I thought I was helping her. When Boq saw it, he asked her permission to depart, to come over here and confess to Glinda of his feelings. But Nessa… she wouldn't let him go."

Somehow he got the feeling it wasn't the end of it. He held back the questions that began their uncontrollable whirl in his head, and nodded for her to continue.

"She grabbed my spell book and told him she'd make him lose his heart to her. Only Nessa doesn't know how to use magic. She pronounced the words all wrong and… I had to step in. To save his life."

He began to see the picture by now. It seemed as if whenever she was trying to help someone, something bad happened. "What did you do?"

"Whatever spell she did, it went wrong. His heart was shrinking. And it is impossible to reverse a spell once it's been cast, so I… transformed him into tin," she whispered, looking away. "Another wonderful act of goodness from the Wicked Witch of the West."

Her sarcasm broke his heart. "Don't say that, Elphaba."

She turned to look at him, her expression saying pain and sorrow. He thought he detected a sparkle of tears in her eyes, but quickly dismissed it. "What should I say then? All I ever wanted was making good. Somehow things didn't work out the way I planned."

"That's life. And for what it's worth, I think you were really brave, standing on your own and not agreeing to work along with that scum."

She smiled, but it looked forced. "But was it worth it? I live underground, my life is in constant danger, everyone believes I'm wicked."

"No, not everyone," he reminded her. That made her smile again. This time, it seemed more real. He couldn't stand seeing her so down. He was determined to change it. "It's amazing how brainless people get over gossip, you know. You wouldn't believe what nonsense people say, or believe in."

She shook her head. "I'm not sure I want to hear this."

"Oh, sure you do. It's utterly entertaining," he said, helping her up. As they resumed their walk, he recounted some of the more amusing stories of the stupidity of those who believed her to be wicked. She refused to laugh at first, firmly biting on her lower lip, but then at some point, it seemed as if she couldn't help it. As they passed by the lake, he remembered that thing he heard that morning. "There was this thing that topped them all off."

"Really? What's that?"

He rolled his eyes at the absurdity of it. "They said water could melt you."

She stopped on her tracks, her expression blank, no more amused. For a slight moment, he thought that maybe he said something wrong. Maybe it wasn't just a silly rumor. Maybe she was now furious that her darkest secret had been publicly revealed.

To his complete astonishment, she took several steps back, towards the shore, and took off her cloak. She fixed her gaze with his as she began to undo her dress, very slowly, so achingly slow he could feel his mouth go drier and drier with each loose button. She slipped out of her dress in one swift motion, standing there in all her naked green glory.

"Wha- what are you doing?" he stammered when he found his voice again. He hoped he wasn't staring at her pathetically, but he couldn't help it. She was beautiful; her skin looked exquisite, flawless, marble-like, and the moonlight gave her that silvery halo.

"Let's see if they're right," she said softly, and turned away from him.

It was this movement that made him snap out of his trance, eventually. He blinked when he realized where she was heading. "The water is probably freezing, you know." He was ashamed of that tremor in his voice.

She threw him a glance from over her shoulder, that teasing sparkle in her eyes noticeable even in the moonlight. "What's the matter, Master Tiggular?" she asked playfully. "You're not scared, are you?"

"Of course not," he said in an attempt to save his already-shattered ego. Before he managed to utter another protest, she was in the water. Well, it certainly didn't melt her, he thought with a soft grunt. And she still watched him, obviously expecting him to follow her lead. She didn't seem to care about the cold, either. But he did care. Ugh. Oh, well. He shed his clothes and left them in a pile next to her own clothes, then made his way to the water, towards her, well-aware of her watchful eye.

He wasn't ready for how cold the water really was. He yelped on first contact. He couldn't believe it was his own voice. Oz, he sounded like such a girl. He swallowed his dignity, stopped his breath and dipped in the water up to his shoulders. Oz, that was _cold_! He swam towards her, teeth chattering.

The whole situation seemed to amuse her. She looked at him with that enigmatic half-smile of hers as he reached her. "Are you alright?"

He tried to pull off his most indifferent expression but failed miserably, as his jaws refused to stick together. "I'm fine. Just a little cold, that's all."

She smiled but said nothing, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. A wave of heat surged through him, sending the coldness away. As he kissed her back, it suddenly dawned on him that this was their first kiss. Of course, dreams didn't count; especially this felt better and more real than any dream would ever do. He wanted to protest when she pulled away, breathlessly asking, "Better?"

He smiled. "Much better." And then, throwing her a teasing look, "You'd better do it again though, to keep me warm."

She cocked one eyebrow, clearly amused, then said, very seriously, "You know, there are other ways to keep warm."

His mouth went dry again. He could feel the blood draining from his face. "Wha- what do you mean?"

Before he knew it, a splash of _very_ cold water hit his face full-force, catching him completely off-guard, knocking him underwater. Oh, she _didn't_. As he surfaced, coughing violently, he shot her a warning glare. "You'll pay for it," he stated simply before lounging himself towards her.

She yelped at that sudden movement, but managed to escape just as he caught hold of her ankle. Pretty soon they were chasing one another, splashing water at one another like two children, their wild giggle carried in the silence of the night. He was breathless, and Oz, she was fast. Of course, it worked fine in keeping away the cold, but he couldn't do this for much longer. He had to think of something that would make her stop.

He smirked as an idea struck him. Oh, yes. Perfect. "_Ouch_!" he shrieked, looking up to see the immediate results of it.

She stopped swimming away from him and looked over her shoulder. The silence around them resumed. "What?"

"I think I got a cramp," he said miserably. Or at least, he hoped that was how he sounded.

Her face lost any hint of amusement now as she quickly swam in his direction. "It's probably nothing," she said, probably meaning to comfort him, but the anxiety was clear in her eyes.

He was beginning to enjoy his little act. "It's easy for you to say," he moaned. "Sweet Oz, it hurts." He waited until she was close enough, and then grabbed her arm, letting out a victorious "_Ah-huh_!"

It took her a moment to realize what had just happened, but when she did, she frowned. "Oh, how very mature."

He didn't reply, just pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist, once again holding his breath at the sensation of skin against skin. He kissed her cheek and glanced at her. "I prefer this way of getting warm, if you don't mind," he murmured, trailing kisses along her jaw-line and neck. He smiled as he felt as shiver.

"I don't… mind…" she murmured in reply, moaning as his lips settled on the crook of her neck.

Then he remembered something, and slowly pulled away. "I believe I still owe you an apology."

"About what?" she asked, looking extremely disoriented. It made him smile, the way the confident, unbreakable Elphaba Thropp was letting all her defenses drop.

"About that day when my driver almost knocked you over," he replied, touching a damp lock of her hair and tucking it behind her ear.

It took her a moment, but then a slow, beautiful smile curled on her lips. "You _have_ changed," she said, sounding as if it had just dawned on her.

"I've changed because of you." She looked away, but couldn't hide the fact that she was blushing. It seemed like the right time to ask what was on his mind. It was time to get some questions answered. "So, why was I the only one you didn't do it to?"

He honestly thought she wouldn't remember it, but the spark of recognition in her eyes was clear even in the moonlight. "You mean… you don't know?"

He laughed softly. "I might have the slightest idea now, yes, but it'll help if you enlighten me."

She leaned forward to lay a soft kiss on his lips. "That's why."

"I knew it," he murmured sort of triumphantly, pulling her closer again for another kiss. Soon their kisses became more passionate, more urgent. His need for her became unbearable. As if she knew what was on his mind she pulled away from their kisses, took his hand and led him out of the water.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: for those who missed it, there's a missing scene I posted separately on the M-rated section. It follows the events in chapter 13, then ties back with this chapter. It's written in a way that you wouldn't miss anything plot-wise if you don't feel like reading it. If you do want to find it, it's titled **_**Lost all Resistance**_**. If you do read it, please review- I have my own insecurities about that one. **

'**nough said… next chapter… some more Elphiyero-ness as requested. **_**Review**_

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Chapter 14 **

He was alone when he woke up; that much he could tell in the faint light of the eternal bonfire in the center of the cave. She must have magicked it so the light wouldn't bother him. But where was she? As he knew from before, the tiny space of the cave was basically all there was. He could only see his clothes, in a small pile a short distance away, but not hers. What time was it? It felt as if he slept for hours. He sat up, pulling the thin blanket around him, as if it could protect him against the chill. He was sore all over, but a strange serenity washed over him, making a smile curl on his lips. It was one of those rare times in which reality managed to top off every fantasy.

Quickly, though, the grimmer side of reality also sank in. No matter what time it was, they should probably get going. He reached for his clothes and put them back on. Finding Elphaba's broomstick lying against a wall he took it, along with her hat and the small bag he brought along with him, before he made his way out of the cave.

Just as he assumed, he wasn't asleep for long. Stepping out of the cave, he could see it was that time when night transformed into morning. The dawn was breaking over the lake as darkness was slowly turning its place to the brighter colors of the day. Elphaba was sitting there by the shore, watching the oranges and pinks of the sky. He smiled to himself at the image she made. Rare were the times in which she allowed herself to be as calm, as carefree, as she seemed to him at the moment.

She looked back at him as he laid the bag, hat and broom on the ground. She smiled. It made his heart leap. He returned the smile and sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her to keep her warm against the morning chill. She leaned her head against his chest.

"Why didn't you wake me?" he murmured into her ear, smiling to himself when he felt her shiver.

"I thought you could use some sleep. We have a long way ahead of us."

"What about you?"

"I never sleep."

He laughed softly, nuzzling her neck. He thought- no, he _knew_- that he was never as happy before. He wished it would never end, that he could hold on to this moment, this one single moment, when it was just him, and her, and the dawn. "Marry me," he said before he could hold the words back. Then he froze when he realized what he had just said. It was one of those times when his tongue was cooperating with his thoughts without even consulting him. Obviously, most of the times it worked against him.

Her felt her stiffen, but she didn't look back. "What?"

Of course, he could take it back, laugh and say he was only joking and get this over with.

Maybe some other time. "Marry me."

This time she turned. She looked speechless for a moment, which in itself was unusual for her. Then she asked sort of hesitantly, "Have you misplaced your mind, Fiyero?"

Had he? It didn't feel like it. He kept his gaze locked with hers when he seriously replied, "No. In fact, it might just be the only thing in my life that actually makes sense."

She still looked uncertain, as if she was expecting him to come to his senses and say it was all a big joke. He remained serious, which made her laugh nervously. "Fiyero, we can't do _that_, we're too different! We'll kill each other, for Oz's sakes, we-" As if she realized she was rambling, she stopped and gave him a look. "Are you serious?" He nodded silently. She sighed. "Fiyero, do I need to remind you that you have just run off from your own engagement party?"

"Do I need to remind _you_ I've never loved my fiancée?" She looked horrified to hear this, as if feeling betrayed for Glinda. He touched her chin gently. "It's you that I love, Elphaba. I've loved you for a long time."

"I've loved you for longer time," she replied. For a slight second she seemed horrified with herself for letting it slip, but then, as if deciding there were more important issues at the moment, she dismissed it with a shake of her head. "Why can't we just leave it with that?"

"Because…" his voice trailed off. He didn't really have an answer that would make sense.

She shook her head, now serious. "Exactly. Let's not make those promises until we know we're safe, alright? Let's just… live this moment, right now, as long as we have each other."

He knew she was right. It would be dangerous, even wrong, to make promises they wouldn't be able to keep. Saying it in the first place was a matter of impulse. "Alright," he said, then smiled when something occurred to him. "That's quite a change, a girl who doesn't try to rush me into marriage. Quite refreshing."

She shook her head, looking somewhat sad all of a sudden. "I'm not Glinda."

"No, you're not," he agreed, kissing her forehead. He wished he could take away her sadness. He thought he knew how. "When we know we're safe…will you marry me then?"

To his great satisfaction, it made her laugh. Then she nodded, still smiling. "Yes. When we know we're safe, I will."

This was so much better than surprise engagement. He smiled at the thought and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "So have you really loved me for longer time?" he asked teasingly.

She frowned. "Don't push your luck, Fiyero."

"Come on, tell me. How long?"

"If you really think I will dignify this ridiculous question with an answer-"

"Oh, I don't think so. I know so," he said, winking. She huffed in discontent, obviously displeased. He smiled innocently, then looked at her more closely. "Sweet Oz, Miss Elphaba, is that blush I detect against your fair complexion?"

The color on her cheeks deepened, giving her face a darker shade of emerald. She looked away. "You're so childish."

He reached out to touch her cheek, gently making her face him. "No, just curious."

There was something new in her eyes now, something he'd never thought he'd find there. It was the first time he had seen Elphaba Thropp defeated. "It was back at Shiz," she said. There was this softness to her voice; she didn't sound annoyed or mad anymore.

"You'll have to be a little more specific," he said, offering her an encouraging smile.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I was really mad at you after that first time we met, but then we… sort of bumped into one another constantly, so no matter how much I tried to avoid your annoying presence, I couldn't." She was frowning now, as if lost in memory. Then her featured softened as she looked up at him. "And then there was this last time… you helped me to save the cub. I've never got the chance to thank you for doing that."

"I wouldn't have done it unless I wanted to." Then something occurred to him. He smiled. "But I'm afraid you have a slight mistake."

Now she looked confused. "Oh?"

He couldn't help but feel satisfied for being able to contradict her. Her expression was priceless. "I've loved you for longer."

She gave him an incredulous look. "You didn't." He said nothing, just nodded. "Since when?" she asked, her eyes narrowing skeptically.

"Since you walked into the Oz-Dust wearing that ridiculous hat," he said, looking at the hat that laid on the grass between them. "Although I haven't quite realized that up until recently."

A slow smile curled on her lips. She seemed as if she wanted to hold it back, but couldn't. "You _are_ pretty slow, aren't you?"

He returned her smile but remained silent, letting her tease him. He thought she deserved a payback, after the way he managed to embarrass her.

She threw her head back as she burst into a giggle. The sound caught him by surprise, not because he had never heard it before, but because it was still somewhat strange to his ears, coming from her. It made him want to giggle too.

"What? What is it?"

She looked up at him, her frown all gone. Her eyes were shinning. "It's just… for the first time… I feel… wicked."

He laughed, wrapping her in his arms. They just sat there for a moment, holding one another in silence.

Then she slowly pulled away. "I just wish…" she started, not looking at him. Then she seemed to change her mind, and directed her gaze with his. "I just wish I could be beautiful, for you."

He couldn't believe his ears. After everything that happened, this was still bothering her? And to be quite frank, he had always believed she was above such vanities. Unless something- someone?- was making her change. He sighed. "Elphaba-"

"No, don't tell me that I am," she stopped him, looking persistent. Then she lowered her head and added more softly, "you don't have to lie to me."

Her last statement was heart-wrenching. She couldn't possibly believe that. "It's not lying," he assured her. "It's… looking at things another way." Meeting her gaze again, he saw it was the right thing to say. But it seemed as if something was still bothering her. He thought he knew what it was. "You and Glinda will make up, and-"

She raised her hand all of a sudden; her sudden movement causing his voice to trail off. "Shh. Listen. Do you hear that?" There was this constant rustling from the tops of the trees. Some Birds greeted one another in the breaking light of dawn, and a low shrill at the distance. Nothing unusual. "It sounds as if someone is in pain."

He shook his head, dismissing her fears. "It's just the wind."

She didn't buy that. She stood up, pacing back and forth, as if trying to make sense of whatever it was she had heard. Then she gasped, looking terrified. "My sister is in danger."

That was enough to bring him back on his feet. "What? How do you know?"

"I don't know, I just do!" Another gasp. She was now staring at something over his shoulder, horror clearly reflected in her eyes.

"Elphaba, what's wrong? What is it?" he asked, now slightly panicked.

She stretched her arm, pointing at something in the distance. "There… don't you see it?"

"No, what is it?"

"It doesn't make any sense… it's a _house_, but it's… it's _flying_ through the sky! I have to get to Nessa," she said, shooting herself forward to grab her broom and hat.

"I'll go with you," he said, already halfway to get the rest of their things.

"No, you mustn't, it's too dangerous!"

There was such urgency in her voice, he knew that trying to dissuade her from going after her sister- and more specifically, going there alone- would be useless. There must be some way he could help her. But how? And then, at once, he thought of something. "Alright, listen to me!" he said, louder than before, as if to make sure he'd get her full attention. He took hold of her arms, making her stay still for a moment, and listen to him. "My family has a castle in Kiamo Ko," he said. "No-one is ever there but the sentries who watch over it. We've never lived there."

"Where do you live?"

He shrugged. "The other castle."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, of course."

He chose to ignore the sarcasm her voice carried. It wasn't the time. "It's the perfect hiding place; tunnels, secret passages, you'll be safe there," he ended, touching her chin. Somehow, he hoped that looking into her eyes would help in calming down his own tension. However, looking into her eyes had the opposite effect. There was fear in her eyes now, and another thing. Doubt? Insecurity? He couldn't quite tell.

"We will see each other again, won't we?" she asked, her voice shivering slightly.

He laughed softly at her lack of confidence. "Elphaba, we're going to be together always," he assured her. Nothing was as clear to him as that. "You can see houses flying in the sky, can't you see that?"

She didn't reply, just silently wrapped her arms around his neck. For a moment, it wasn't quite clear to him who was holding on to whom. Then he pulled away from their embrace, and their lips touched briefly for one last time. He didn't know when would be the next time he'd see her, but he had to make sure they'd have a proper goodbye.

He watched her as she hurried away, first on foot, then on her broom, and didn't remove his gaze until she was a small black dot against the morning sky. Then he sighed, picked up his belongings, and began to make his way through the woods, towards Munchkinland.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I had to make slight changes in the catfight scene to make it work better. Just keep it in mind if you find inconsistencies. **

**The following chapter is dedicated to Rachel and Tanya, who helped me figure out my way with this chapter and the one to follow, as well as had to cope with my (slight) Adam Garcia obsession. Love you, guys! **

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Chapter 15**

He was wandering in the woods for what felt like hours now. Well, this probably was the case, as the sun was now at the center of the sky. He wasn't even sure he was in the right direction. He knew his ways in the forest fairly well, given his service at the Gale Force, but as another hour passed, then another, then a third, he wasn't sure of anything. And if that wasn't enough, he was starting to get really worried about Elphaba. Not that he dared doubting her instincts; if she sensed her sister was in danger, who was he to contradict her? He just… well, he had a bad feeling about the whole thing. And he had to follow his instincts, just as she had to follow hers.

He smiled as the moments before she took off came to mind.

"_When we know we're safe…will you marry me then?"_

"_Yes. When we know we're safe, I will."_

Honestly, he wasn't expecting her to take his question seriously, so when she consented, it caught him somewhat off-guard. Not that he was going to argue or take it back. But now he was even more determined to get to Munchkinland, to find her there, to make sure that they _would_ be safe, and the sooner the better.

XoxoxoxoX

It was noon when the vegetation thinned, and the trees made way to small huts with red tiles and smoking chimneys. He threw his bag over his shoulder with a sigh of relief. Whichever village it was, it didn't look sophisticated enough for the Gale Force to look for the Wizard's fugitives there. He'd be safe for a while. Leaving the forest behind, it suddenly dawned on him that he was starving. Everything happened so fast that morning, they didn't even eat breakfast. He should find a place to stay, he thought; someplace comfortable where they also served lunch. He could eat practically anything at the moment.

But as he approached what seemed like the center of the village, he suddenly noticed the merry sounds of music and singing. And when he was close enough to make out the lyrics of the joyous melody, he stopped dead on his tracks as their meaning hit him.

_Ding dong, the witch is dead._

_Which old witch?_

_The Wicked Witch!_

_Ding dong, the Wicked Witch is dead…_

He forced himself to resume his steps, although his mind was racing. The words kept playing in his head, giving him chills. What was _that_ all about? He nodded in acknowledgement towards two villagers who almost bumped into him in their dancing. The taller of the two merely got to his elbow. So he _was_ in Munchkinland.

"Good day, sir!" the taller Munchkin called, tipping his head. "Where are you from?"

What should he say? No matter how small and insignificant that village was, there was always the possibility that the Wizard's men have gotten there anyway. "I'm on my way to the Emerald City," he said. "Is there a place where I can spend the night?"

"Why of course, young man," said the lady Munchkin, pointing at a building at the other side of the street. "Lynea serves free lunch today, in honor of the celebrations!"

"Celebrations?" he repeated, pulling off his most confused expression.

The Munchkins looked confused. "You wish to tell me you haven't heard the news?"

"No, I'm afraid I haven't."

"The end has come on the misery of our people! The Wicked Witch of the East has been destroyed!" the Munchkin announced. Some passersby who happened to hear him, stopped to cheer.

Nessa, destroyed? "How did it happen?"

"A child, a sorceress-"

"Dorothy, may Oz bless her-"

"Dropped a house-"

"She came from a far away country called-"

He shook his head. They were all speaking at once, their enthusiastic mixture of voices was making him dizzy and confusified. All the while he was trying to make sense of it all. He couldn't figure out what he should do. Nessa was dead, the Munchkins were free…

And then something much more horrible occurred to him.

He must get to Elphaba.

Abandoning his original plans to eat and rest, he turned his attention to the Munchkins again. "Excuse me, where can I get a horse?"

"Right by Lynea's inn there's a stable. They can be of help for you there."

He thanked them, and quickly crossed the street. Now he was glad he stuffed some money into his pocket as a last minute decision. Luckily, it came out useful. It was enough to buy himself a horse, and have a quick lunch at Lynea's Inn. While he was there he paid attention to the conversations around him. As he knew from past experience, drunk men were quite talkative. Pretty soon he got all the necessary information about the place where the farmhouse had fallen on the Wicked Witch.

A short while afterwards he took off, after refusing an overnight stay. He had no time to lose. He mounted his horse, a dappled grey one, with a sigh of gratitution. He might not own Elphaba's broom, but on a horseback he would surely get there much faster than on foot.

XoxoxoxoX

Well, apparently, there was a reason for the low price the stable's owner was willing to take for the horse. It was a lazy beast, one of the laziest he had ever ridden on during his quite long history of riding horses. It seemed as if the horse knew no other pace than light trotting, and when he tried to hurry it along by gently kicking his sides, the horse would spring into a gallop for a short distance, then resume his original trotting.

It was dusk when he finally arrived at his destination. He knew he got there because he heard their voices, although quite muffled, but still recognizable. So Glinda was still there. He knew she was there before; the Munchkins said she was the one sent for to enquire who the witch-girl was, as well as the one who later sent her off to the Emerald City. It sounded as if they were arguing, although he couldn't quite tell about what. He pulled at the reins, urging his horse forward. The beast growled in reply, and came to a sudden halt.

"Come on, you lazy animal, move," he muttered. The horse huffed as if insulted, but didn't comply. He held back a curse, and dismounted with a sigh. He knew the horse was probably tired; they made a long way in quite a short time. Still, it chose the most unfortunate moment to lose its strength completely. He considered his next move. He'd have to continue on foot to get to Elphaba; then they could return there to fetch the horse. But first he'd better acknowledge his surroundings.

He took a rope from his bag and wrapped it around his arm. Then, leaving everything else on the ground, he climbed up the closest tree. Once he was up, he tied one end of the rope to one of the branches, so it would make his way down easier. Then, readjusting his position, he looked in the direction from which he heard their voices.

He could see them clearly now. Glinda looked quite glamorous in a new gown, her crown and a huge wand. Elphaba looked just as he left her that morning, only her expression had changed. She was no longer happy and careless. Even in that distance, it was clear that she was devastated over the sudden death of her sister.

"… too busy telling everyone how wonderful everything is!" Elphaba said, enraged.

"I'm a public figure now, people expect me-"

"To _lie_?"

"To be encouraging!" He cringed. He had never heard Glinda raising her voice on anyone before. It felt so wrong, so unladylike, so unpleasant to the ear. "And what exactly have you been doing, besides riding around on that filthy old thing?"

"Well, we can't all come and go by bubble." He sniggered inwardly. Good one, Elphaba. "Whose idea was that, the Wizard's? Of course, even if it wasn't, I'm sure he'd still take credit for it."

"Yes, well, a lot of us are taking things that don't belong to us, aren't we?"

Uh-oh. It was quite obvious to what- to _whom_- Glinda was referring.

"Now wait just a clock-tick," Elphaba hissed maliciously. He could already sense that Glinda was not going to get away with what she had just said. "I know it may be difficult for that blissful blonde brain of yours to comprehend that someone like him could actually choose someone like me. But it's happened. It's real. And you can wave that ridiculous wand all you want, you can't change it. He doesn't belong to you, he doesn't love you and he never did. He loves _me_!"

To his astonishment, Glinda raised her hand and slapped Elphaba full-force on her cheek. The sound of it echoed, loud and clear, audible even to his ears. She seemed to regret it as she slowly lowered her hand. Elphaba, on the other hand, didn't flinch. Rather, she threw her head back, letting out a vicious- quite mocking- cackle.

Then all of a sudden, other voices were heard, much closer to the tree on which he was sitting. He quickly looked down, to where he left his horse, just in time to see a group of five soldiers in emerald-colored uniform, speaking in low voices.

"Sir, over here!" one of them hissed.

Out of instinct, he pulled on the rope he had just thrown down, bringing it quickly up. He held his breath, kept his eyes on the soldiers, and waited.

As he suspected, Nob soon showed up, being the men's new Captain of the Guards. From the top of the tree, he could see one of the men finds his bag and hands in to Nob. A sigh of relief escaped him. Thank Oz he didn't have anything valuable in it, or worse, anything that might have given him away.

Nob looked at the bag more closely, then took a look at the horse and said, "Leave it where you found it. It probably belongs to a vagabond who went to find himself something to eat. He'd better find his belongings where he left them when he returns. Now let's focus on our mission. They can't be far away. Remember we sworn to protect Her Goodness, whatever happens. Also remember that His Ozness wants the Witch alive."

His head shot up towards Elphaba and Glinda, who were fighting now. He was right then. It _was_ a trap. And Glinda managed to outsmart Elphaba and bring her right towards it.

Bellow him, the soldiers were on the move again. He had to act, fast. He looked at the rope in his hands, trying to measure the distance between the tree and the clearing, where Elphaba and Glinda were. Yes, it might work. He checked that the knot he had made earlier was well-fastened; then, still holding on to the end of the rope, he moved slowly along one branch.

Then, he waited.

To be quite frank, he was amazed by what he had witnessed. Those two girls who became such close friends were now beating each other senseless, and over what? Perhaps under other circumstances it would have made him feel fluttered, the way the two of them were fighting over him; right now, it just seemed silly and immature.

Glinda screamed as Elphaba got hold of her golden curls. As on a cue, the soldiers then burst out of the surrounding bushes. Quickly glancing at Elphaba, it was obvious she wasn't expecting this. Three of them seized her, and she struggled to set herself free from their grasp. Two other were pointing their rifles at her.

"I can't believe you'd sink that low," she told Glinda, giving her a cold, scorning look. He knew that Glinda was her only friend, the only one she had ever put her trust in. And now Glinda betrayed that trust. "To use my sister's death as a trap to capture me?"

That's it. He couldn't wait any longer. He straightened up, moving over the edge of the branch, as far as he dared to go. Then he crouched, held his breath, and jumped, holding on to the rope. He could hear himself shout in a voice he couldn't believe was his own, but it felt as if he was unable to hold it back. It was even scarier than riding a broom.

Luckily, he landed unharmed, and right where he intended to. Looking around, he noticed to his satisfaction that his arrival caught all of them off-guard. They were all staring at him, as if unsure of how he got there. Stealing a glance at Elphaba, she had stopped struggling. She still looked determined to defend herself, yet all the while she also looked relieved with the unexpected help.

He looked up at the soldiers, the men who only the day before were his best companions. "Let the green girl go."

"Fiyero, what in Oz-"

He cut off Glinda's question by quickly grabbing her arm, and pulling her towards him, before any of the men managed to make a move towards him. He snatched a rifle one of them had accidentally dropped at some point, and pressed it against her temple, holding his other arm against her neck to prevent her from moving. Hating himself for having to do this, he fought to keep his voice even as he straightened his gaze with the soldiers who still held Elphaba. "Let her go," he advised them, "or explain to all Oz how the Wizard's guard watched while Glinda the Good was slain."

Glinda gasped in terror. "Fiyero-"

She was shivering against him, so violently it almost made him loosen his grip on her. Only he couldn't. He didn't mean to really harm her anyway; he just wanted to ensure Elphaba's safety. "I said, let her go!"

The soldiers looked hesitantly at Nob, as if waiting for his commands. The two of them exchanged one long, piercing look before Nob nodded towards his men, who immediately let go of Elphaba. She toppled forward, almost losing her balance due to their sudden motion. Now he could see that she, like Glinda, was shivering.

Their eyes met. She did the slightest nod with her head; to assure him that she was alright, he assumed. "Elphaba, go, now," he ordered, not letting go of Glinda. He wouldn't, not until Elphaba was safe and away.

Elphaba shook her head. "No, not without you."

"Fiyero, please-"

Glinda was struggling now. He tightened his grip on her, causing her to whimper in protest, or pain. "_Hush_! Elphaba, now! _Go_!" he yelled at her, letting go of Glinda as he did. He caught sight of her broomstick, on the ground beside him and quickly grabbed it, throwing it in her direction.

To his annoyance, she still hesitated. What in Oz she was waiting for? He couldn't keep them for much longer! There was a moment of silence, broken- quite surprisingly- by Glinda, who threw Elphaba her hat. "Do it!"

Their eyes met for one last time before she did as she was told and ran down the yellow brick road. One soldier was about to go after her, but Nob laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

Once he let go of Glinda, he stepped forward. He knew what was coming next. He wasn't intending to fight against them. This was what they were trained and ordered to do; it was their job. If anything happened to him, at least he'd know he did all he could to ensure Elphaba's safety.

Nob shouted an order, and he was seized. Unlike him, it seemed as if Glinda wasn't expecting this. "Wait, what? What are you doing, stop it! In the name of Goodness, _stop_!" Her unusual shriek made them all freeze. He noticed that the younger ones even appeared quite guilty all of a sudden. "Don't you see? He wasn't going to harm me, he just… he loves her," she said, her voice softer now. And looking up at her, he could tell that even if she didn't quite accept it yet, at least she understood.

"Glinda, I'm so sorry."

He wasn't even sure if she heard him. Just as he expected, the soldiers were less than understanding. They seized him again, using more force than before, and carried him away from there with great noise. He only heard her cry out something incoherent, her voice louder than any of the men's. In his head, he pretended to hear Elphaba as well. Their voices blended together to an agonizing outcry of his name, as he was carried away towards the unknown.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: alright, you guys, that's it. Last chapter. It seems like a good place to stop, otherwise the story will be dragged on and on, and there's nothing I hate more than stories that are dragged on with no apparent reason or purpose. SO! Here it is. I wanna thank everyone who read and reviewed my little story, and to tell you a secret: there is going to be a sequel (on which I had just started working) so even though it might take me a while, stay tuned for alerts.**

**It's been great you guys! Happy reading!**

**Reuploaded thanks to WickedJelly… OOH! Check out the dates!!! Haha I've just noticed it- started on the 16****th**** and ended on the 16****th****. Yayness. **

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Chapter 16**

He opened his eyes, slowly regaining consciousness. He cringed. Even that small motion was painful. He was hurt all over, and he could not remember why. What in Oz happened? What was the last thing he remembered, before everything went blank? As much as he tried, nothing came back to him. Everything was blank, blurred, except for this unexplained, constant light-headedness. It was a strange feeling, not remembering a simple thing like where he was the day before, if it really _was_ the day before. For all he knew, he might have been there for much longer.

Where _was_ 'there', though? Where was he? He took a look around him. A corn field. The sight of it was marvelous; it looked endless, its colors blending perfectly with the horizon at this hours of midday. Looking down, he suddenly could see that his legs didn't touch the ground; it was as if he was hung mid-air or something.

But it was not the only thing that was odd.

Slowly, and quite fearfully, he looked at his arm. A shabby green sleeve, and a hand made of straw. He looked at his other arm, and saw the same thing. Yes, just as he suspected. It wasn't just his legs and stomach. Well, it explained the light-headedness, alright. But how in Oz-

Pain. It was increasing by the second. One soldier beat him; another kicked his side, the sole of his boot making contact with his ribs, making him cry out in agony. He was determined not to make any sound at first, but as they got more violent, he couldn't possibly hold back. And each moan, each outcry from him, encouraged them to beat him even harder. They were speaking as they tortured him, as if to make their act of humiliation complete.

"We should have known that you've never attempted to help to recapture her, that it was all an act."

"Who knows how many times you let her escape, right under our noses."

"You _love_ her, is that so? Well, this is what witch-lovers deserve!"

Another kick, right to his stomach. He cringed, feeling nauseous. There was this funny, metal-like taste in his mouth, and he knew he was bleeding. He closed his eyes, hoping it would just be over soon. He had no strength to fight back. They were five and he was one; it was a battle pre-ordained.

As he slowly drifted into unconsciousness, he could hear a voice, _her_ voice, carried in the air, surrounding him. _Eleka Nahmen Nahmen Atum Atum Eleka Nahmen_… The strange words repeated over and over again, in a hypnotizing rhythm, making him slightly dizzy. It was as if he could sense them, instead of hear them. And something else was happening; he wasn't sure what it was, but something felt different, only he was too much in pain to make sense of it. As darkness took over, he held on to the sound of her voice, the only thing that really mattered. The only thing that really frightened him about dying was that he'd never see Elphaba again.

So this was it. This was her doing. It must have been; otherwise there was no way of explaining the fact that he was made out of straw, and hanging on a pole in the middle of a corn field, practically in the middle of nowhere. And as memory returned to him, he also remembered another thing, a story she had told him only days before. The way she turned Boq into tin in order to save his life. It seemed that once again, things didn't work out quite as planned.

No. He shouldn't think that way. This was not true, nor was it fair. She saved his life. He had no right to be bitter about the way he looked now. If it wasn't for Elphaba, there was no him to begin with. He'd just have to get used to it. He'd cope. He always had. Besides, there were other things to consider at the moment. He had to figure out a way to get down of that pole, and find the right way to Kiamo Ko. He had to get to Elphaba before it was too late.

A voice broke the silence. His head shot up as he realized that. A figure- no, two figures- were approaching the crossroad. As they got closer he could make out their features. It was a young girl and a small dog. Or was it a Dog? In this distance he couldn't quite tell. The girl was dressed in a checkered white and blue dress, and there was a small basket hung on her arm, but what striked him as most familiar about her were her shoes.

Nessarose's shoes.

He thought, fast. He heard enough stories at that Munchkin pub he had lunch at, before he went on his way. Dorothy, they said her name was. Glinda gave her those shoes, which made Elphaba furious because she wanted them as a keepsake from her deceased sister. The Witch was after her now, they said, which was why Glinda had sent her down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City.

He considered his moves. Glinda was obviously still oblivious to the fact that the Wizard had changed very little. He'd probably do all he could to divert the girl into working with him. She looked young and innocent enough to fall into his trap. And Elphaba was probably devastated over Nessa's sudden death; he didn't dare thinking about what she was capable of doing in a time of grief. Yes, he'd better join her. Someone had to protect her on her way. Oz was not a safe place for a young girl wandering by herself, especially not under the current circumstances.

He watched her carefully as she approached, coming closer and closer to where he was hung. "Follow the Yellow Brick Road…" she murmured to herself, then looked around her. When she realized she was on a crossroad, she huffed impatiently, looking somewhat puzzled. "Now which way do we go?" she asked the dog.

He took a deep breath, and took her question as his cue. He pointed to his right. "Pardon me, this way is a very nice way."

She turned, obviously startled, and looked around her. "Who said that?" she asked, sounding utterly scared. At her feet, the dog started barking viciously in his direction. Now he was convinced it wasn't a Dog. He felt like sticking his tongue at it… that is, if he had one. "Don't be silly, Toto," the girl said. "Scarecrows don't talk."

Huh. He pointed in the opposite direction. "It's pleasant down that way, too."

She was looking at him more closely know, confusion reflected in her big eyes. "That's funny. Wasn't he pointing the other way?"

That was amusing. He could do this all day, if he wasn't in a hurry. He pointed in both directions now, and said, "Of course, people do go both ways."

She slowly walked forward, looking amazed. "Why, you did say something, didn't you?" He shook his head, then nodded. She frowned. "Are you doing this on purpose, or can't you make up your mind?"

Now, _that_ could be a great cover story. Yes, he'd stick to this version. It's not as if it was completely a lie; he _was_ known to be brainless before. He practically _invented_ brainlessness! And he'd have to have a story to tell her anyway, because she was obviously bright enough to know that normally, scarecrows didn't talk. "That's the trouble," he said, fighting to appear sorrowful. "I can't make up my mind. I don't have a brain. Only straw."

She didn't seem to buy it. She eyed him skeptically. "How can you talk if you have no brain?"

Oh. Oops. "I don't know," he replied after a moment, "but people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't they?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, I guess you're right." She crossed the fence and looked up at him. "Well, we haven't really met properly, have we?"

He smiled inwardly, because it was the only way he could do that. She was a harmless little creature. Elphaba couldn't possibly believe she intentionally dropped her house on Nessa. "Why, no."

She made a small bow. "How do you do?"

He nodded in return. "How do you do?"

"Very well, thank you."

"I'm not feeling at all well. You see, it's very tedious being stuck up here all day long with a pole up your back."

"Oh dear, that must be very uncomfortable," she exclaimed. "Can't you get down?"

He felt like rolling his eyes. Wouldn't he have done it already if he could?

And then, as if she realized it as well, she sprang forward, to the back of the pole. "Oh, well, here, let me help you." She tugged and pulled, and a few moments later he fell on the ground, free at last. Ah, it felt so good. And the fall didn't even hurt, which he found quite amazing. The girl, though, was terrified to see him fall, and hurried towards him. She picked up some pieces of straw that slipped out of his stuffed stomach. "Does it hurt you?"

He took it from her and stuffed it back into his shirt. "Oh no, I keep just picking it up and putting it back in again." He stood up and made a few steps; however, he wasn't used to walking around being so light, pretty soon he toppled forward and found himself on the ground again.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, kneeling beside him.

"I'm alright, I'm alright," he said, dismissing her anxiety with a wave of his hand. "It's just… I feel like such a failure."

"Why is that?"

"I can't even scare the crows that pass over here," he said, hoping it sounded miserable enough. "And it's all because I haven't got a brain!"

"Oh, don't say that," she comforted him. "Why, if our scarecrow back in Kansas could talk the way you do-"

"Where is Kansas?"

She looked down quite sorrowfully. "That's where I live. And I want to go back there so badly, I'm going all the way to the Emerald City to get the Wizard of Oz to help me."

She sounded so naïve, so hopeful. He felt sorry for her. Nonetheless, he remembered he had to play along. "You're going to see a wizard?"

"Yes, I am."

"Do you think if I went with you, the Wizard would give me some brains?"

She thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I couldn't say. But even if he didn't, you'd be no worse off than you are now."

She was brighter than he thought. And she looked quite young; he couldn't quite determine how old she was. "Yes, that's true."

"But maybe you'd better not," she then added, her expression changes slightly. "I've got a Witch mad at me, and you might get into trouble."

Oh Elphaba, what have you done to scare her so, he silently wondered. Then, he snorted. "Witch? Huh! I'm not afraid of a Witch! I'm not afraid of anything!" As he caught sight of the straw at the edge of his arm, he realized it wasn't quite true. "Except a lighted match," he then added, shuddering at the thought.

She nodded seriously. "I can't blame you for that."

"But I'll face a whole box of them for the chance of getting some brains," he played along. Then he gave her an imploring look. "I won't be any trouble, because I don't eat a thing, and I won't try to manage things, because I can't think. Won't you take me with you?"

She looked as if she was sorry for him. "Why, of course I will."

_Yes_! He stood up abruptly, once again forgetting to keep his balance, and once again toppled off on the ground.

"You're not starting out very well," the girl laughed, helping him up.

"Oh, I will! Really, I will!"

She smiled and picked up her basket. "To Oz?"

He would have returned her smile, if he could. "To Oz," he echoed.

Soon they were on their way, down the Yellow Brick Road. She was quite talkative, that little girl. She told him that her name was Dorothy Gale, that she was from Kansas where she lived with her Uncle Henry and Auntie Em, that she wasn't quite sure how she got to Oz, or how she ended up killing the Wicked Witch. She didn't mean to kill her, she said, and after spending a considerable part of the day with her, he actually believed her. Just as he suspected, she was a young, inexperienced girl, alone in a foreign country. Yes, she might have caused Nessa's death, but he was convinced that it wasn't intentional or planned. And as for the shoes? Well, it was mainly Glinda's fault; after all, she was the one giving them to her.

The only problem was, of course, making Elphaba see all that. Being as suspicious and paranoid as she was after living underground all this time, she would probably think Dorothy was cooperating with the Wizard. She would probably try to bring the little girl down, thinking she'd destroy the Wizard in the process. He couldn't let her do that, it wasn't fair. And she was so full of grief, she was obviously not thinking clearly. She'd end up hurting herself; somehow he just knew she would. And he couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't lose her, not after he had sacrificed so much to get her back.

He'd have to protect her. He'd have to protect them both. He'd keep Dorothy from Elphaba's desire for revenge, and he'd do all he could to defend Elphaba, because she was obviously not safe yet. He didn't even want to think what would happen when they'd get to the Emerald City, how he'd face that spiteful man again, or how he'd be able to contact Elphaba and let her know that he was alive… well, sort of.

He watched the sun as it set down, giving the Yellow Brick Road a golden glow. A strange serenity washed over him. Everything would be alright. It had to be. He'd been through hard times; he knew that things could not possibly get worse. He'd just have to wait and see how things would turn out to be. And when a pang of doubt sneaked into his heart, he shook it off with a confident inner smile, thinking back of a promise, that one promise he had made not that long ago.

_Elphaba, we're going to be together always. You can see houses flying through the sky… can't you see that?_

His confidence increased as he watched at the distance, his gaze wandering absent-mindedly westwards. Yes, he'd see her again shortly. In the meantime… there were always his dreams.


End file.
